HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC SCHOOL
25 Bloomsbury Avenue Brampton, Ontario L6P 1W9
Phone: 905-794-8039 Fax: 905-794-1285
Website: http://www.dpcdsb. org/SPRIT
JANUARY 2016
Principal
N. Poerba
Vice Principal
A. Cassar
Head Secretary
P. Figliomeni
Superintendent
D. OudeReinmerick
Trustee
Shawn Xaviour
St. Patrick Parish
11873 The Gore Road
Brampton, Ontario
L6P 0B2
905-794-0486
Pastor
Father Vito
School Council
Chair 2015-16
K. Dancy
FOLLOW US ON
TWITTER!
@DPCDSBSchools
@DPHolySpirit
PRINCIPAL & VICE-PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH
Welcome back!
January is a time of new
beginnings. The word
January stems from the
Latin word, ‘janua’. It
means ‘doorway’. It is an old custom to bless doorways at Epiphany. January is the year’s doorway:
an entrance into a new beginning! Jesus is always
beginning again the work of salvation in us and
among us. We are beginning a new year. The
hours of darkness will begin to lessen before the
strengthening sun. We see the Lord, Jesus, and
our hopes are made new. We are encouraged to
see each other in a new light with new insight, new
openhandedness and new liveliness.
A very special thank you to the Holy Spirit community, for their generosity and support during the Advent and Christmas seasons. It was wonderful to
see so many parents and friends sharing our Faith
at the Advent Mass. Thank you to the families who
supported our Helping Hands campaign. Your generous donations truly made a difference in the lives
of many in our community. With the support of CSC
and donations collected we were able to support 5
families for Christmas and purchased gifts and gift
cards for food. Also with the help of Our Lady Of
Lourdes School we were able to purchase 157 gifts
for our brothers and sisters at Leisure World Retirement home.
On behalf of the Holy Spirit School community, we
extend to you and your family our best wishes for a
healthy and prosperous New Year.
As well, we encourage all parents to keep in close
contact with the school regarding your child(ren)’s
progress. We strive to foster open communication
with the view to nurture the spiritual and academic
growth of all students. Please contact your child’s
teacher or the office if we may be of any assistance.
Yours sincerely,
N. Poerba and A. Cassar
This month we will celebrate the virtue of selfcontrol. Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that we will regret. Selfcontrol helps us to resist the temptation to do
something that will harm ourselves or others. Selfcontrol is one of the marks of a spiritually mature
person.
A person with self-control….is patient, knows how
to wait his/her turn, can calm down and think before reacting to situations, knows how to avoid
physical aggression, can think things through and
do what is best for everyone
When we use self-control, we can be sure that our
school will be a safe, caring and an inclusive place
to live and to learn.
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of
creating us and the world around us.
Sometimes life is easy, sometimes life is
challenging and we know that you do not want us
to suffer. We know that you do not want us to
make other people suffer.
We come to you now asking for the grace and
strength to keep a sense of self-control.
We hope that by remaining calm in the middle of
difficult situations, we can contribute to making our
school a safer, more caring, and more inclusive
community.
May our virtue of self-control help us to make decisions that serve the good of all your people in our
families, neighborhoods and school community.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who
lived to show us your way.
Amen
Teaching for The Father Inspired by The Son Guided by The Holy Spirit
OFFICE REMINDERS
STUDENTS ARRIVING LATE TO SCHOOL
We have had an increase in the number of students who arrive late to
school in the mornings and after lunch. As the winter weather approaches, it is very important that students arrive to school on time and ready to
work, as late arrivals disrupt instructional activities and classroom routines.
School starts at 9:15am and at 1:00pm. Students should be at school with
enough time to line up with their classes. Please note that if they do not
arrive on time to make it to their line as the bell rings, they need to enter
through the front doors to pick up an admit slip before going to class.
HELPING HANDS UPDATE
Thank you for your generous support and contributions to the families in need during Advent. Approximately $1500 was raised
through various fundraising efforts and events. Because of you,
the staff, and the Catholic School Council generous support we
were able to provide a Christmas dinner, food, gifts and gift cards
for five families and gifts for 157 seniors from the seniors home. A
special thank you to Mrs. Lara and her class, our SWAG Team,
CSC and Mrs. Nosella for their charitable support.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY
On Monday January 18, 2016 teachers will be involved in assessment and evaluation activities. There is no school for students
on this day.
in order to protect all the parties involved it is advisable to work through
the relevant teacher and/or principal.
We commend You, the families of our school community, who have always been openly receptive and cooperative with maintaining our goal to
provide our students, and your children, with a balanced support and
positive influence. We are confident that together, we need to continue to
model appropriate Catholic behaviour in our encounters and in dealing
with unpleasant situations, as we know that teaching by example, is the
most effective kind.
OUTDOOR / WEATHER REMINDERS
WINTER PLAYGROUND RULES
We continue to promote playground safety at Holy Spirit School, especially during the winter months.
The winter rules include:
 No throwing or kicking of snow or ice in any direction
 Remaining off of ice patches on the field or pavement
 Keeping off of high snow banks
 Keeping snow on the ground
 Not standing under icicles that accumulate along the roof’s
perimeter
 Staying off the field on days that it is designated unsafe for
students.
Students who do not follow these rules are putting their own safety and
the safety of others in jeopardy. Therefore, ongoing failure to follow the
playground rules may result in loss of recess time. Students may also be
asked to complete an incident sheet that will be sent home to be signed
by a parent.
REPORTING PERIODS
First term report cards for grades 1-8 will go home on
Tuesday, February 2, 2016. Parent/Student/Teacher
Conferences for students in grades JK—8 will take place on the DRY FEET, DRY CLOTHING
evening of Thursday February 4, 2016 and the morning of Friday Colder weather is upon us! Please ensure that your child comes
February 5, 2016. More information regarding the conferences will to school prepared to participate in all activities, including outdoor
recess. All children should have hats, scarves,
be sent home during the week of January 11th, 2016.
gloves, warm coats and boots. As the wintery season gives way to slush and snow, all students are
DO YOU HAVE A CONCERN?
reminded to bring an extra pair of shoes to wear
We recognize that a close working relationship between school
indoors during the winter months. Fire regulations
and parents/guardians is essential to fostering and maintaining a
strong learning environment. We understand that there may be dictate that all students must have footwear on at all times.
times when students or parents may feel aggrieved about some- In anticipation of a cold and snowy winter, we would also like to
thing that is happening at the school. Sometimes students are advise parents to send an extra set of clothes (track pants, sweatinvolved in conflicts with other students, other times students shirts, socks, underwear) to school in the winter. These clothes
may feel a situation was not resolved. We try our best to deal with all situ- will be kept at the school to be used when the child is wet from
ations that are brought to our attention, however, we want to make sure playing in the snow.
our students feel heard. Please keep us informed. Many times a quick
“heads up” will make us aware of issues.
Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or the staff member directly involved in any issue as that is always the best place to start.
Please call the school and leave a message for the staff member. They
may not return your call the same day but will attempt to do so in a timely manner. Of course, because of the seriousness of some situations you
may contact the school office and speak directly with the principal. Always
leave your name and contact information. We cannot address any anonymous concerns.
Parents are advised to not approach children or members of other families regarding a school related situation. This is often a sensitive area and
COLD WEATHER
During the cold weather, the amount of time children spend outdoors will be reduced when the temperature is -20 degrees Celsius or colder, with or without wind chill. Children will be kept indoors when the temperature is -25 degrees Celsius or colder, with or without wind chill. This is in accordance with the policy of the Dufferin Peel
Catholic District School Board. We will, of course, monitor the weather
situation on a daily basis. The safety of our students is always of utmost
concern.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REMINDERS
INDOOR RECESS REQUESTS
In the colder weather we often receive requests to allow children to
remain indoors when they have a cold, flu, etc. Please note that we
cannot comply with these requests, as we have neither the facilities nor
the staff to supervise these students. If you feel your child is not well
enough to go outside, it would be best to keep your child at home.
Students do require a medical note to be excused from recess.
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) have head lice,
please notify the school.
Remember, an infestation of lice is not a reflection on the cleanliness of
your child. In fact, students with appropriate hygiene habits are as susceptible to lice as any other group. A reminder to all to refrain from sharing hats at any time, but especially during the winter months.
The treatment for pediculosis is simple. Specially medicated shampoo or
cream rise is available from your pharmacist. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s directions and remove all nits from the hair. Any infected student will need to be checked before re-entry to class. Thank you in advance for your co-operation.
BULLYING PREVENTION CORNER
CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE, BULLYING IS NOT
The key message in January is “conflict is inevitable, bullying is not.” The activities provide opportunities for students
to learn how to differentiate bullying from daily conflict situations everyone faces. Students also learn how to use an assertive form
of communication known as “I-Messages” to deal with conflict and prevent bullying.
Everyone faces conflict in daily life and through it can learn to negotiate
and build relationships. Bullying is a form of violence that leaves no
room for negotiation and seeks to tear others down rather than build
relationships.
Tips for parents:
help your children apply the definition of bullying to determine
if a situation is bullying or conflict. Does one person have
more power than the other? Is the behaviour intentional/on
purpose? Does it keep happening? (Answering yes to these
questions indicates bullying; answering no indicates conflict)
use teachable moments and “what if’ scenarios with your child
to help them differentiate bullying and conflict
talk to your children about the difference between being passive, aggressive or assertive use ‘I-Messages’
PARISH CORNER
Peel Health (www.peelregion.ca/health/) is available to provide advice
Dear parents, students, staff and communities of our parish schools at
to parents, school staff and students about treatment and prevention.
St. Patrick’s:
They can be contacted at (905) 791-7800.
MEDICATION
A reminder that students are not allowed to bring any medication to school. This includes prescription and nonprescription medication. As per Board protocol, all medication
must be stored in the office, accompanied by appropriate paperwork and
doctor signature. Please note that this includes Advil, cough medication,
puffers, etc. We thank you for your co-operation in this matter. As always, we care about the safety of all our students.
LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES
We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire school
community by NOT sending any lunches or snacks that
contain peanuts/nut products. We want to be a safe environment for all students. Thank you for your assistance with this initiative.
When celebrating a special occasion, we continue to encourage that
only non-edible treats be sent to school if they are to be shared with
other students.
PEEL PUBLIC HEALTH
A reminder to all parents to update your child‘s immunization
records with Peel Public Health by submitting records online
at www.ImmunizePeel.ca or faxing records to 905-5650426. You may also call 905-799-7700. Thank you. Peel
Public Health is in the process of reviewing immunization records to
ensure that they are up-to-date.
Greetings and Blessings to all. Best wishes for a holy New Year, filled
with goodness and love for you, your loved ones and the whole
world. This is indeed a blessed year as we celebrate the Extraordinary
Jubilee of Mercy, each one of us is invited to reflect on the great mercy
and love of God and to become ourselves bearers of love and mercy to
all.
We are blessed at St. Patrick’s Church to hold one of the designated
“Holy Doors” of the Jubilee in our Archdiocese. We have already started
witnessing people coming from elsewhere to spend time in prayer in our
church, and we will continue to welcome many, praying with them and
praying for them.
It is my hope that each one of you, as a family, may take the opportunity
to come and spend a few minutes in pilgrimage and prayer, thanking
God for the blessings in your life, and seeking blessings for others and
for all. During the Jubilee Year our church will remain open every day
from 7 a.m. To 9 p.m.
I wish to extend my congratulations to the families of those students who
have been confirmed, and look forward to continue preparing and celebrating with those yet to be confirmed, and the children preparing for the
Sacraments of First Confession and First Communion.
We are also happy to welcome in our midst a refugee family from Syria. We ask you to pray for them and for all who suffer worldwide. May
everything we do for one another truly receive God’s blessings upon
each one us and upon all our families. Once again, a blessed New Year
to all.
With friendship,
Fr. Vito Marziliano - Pastor.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NATIONAL SWEATER DAY
National Sweater Day will take place on February 4, 2016, providing an
opportunity for employees and students to learn about the importance of
saving energy, while at the same time, reminding us to use less heat
throughout the winter.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION FOR 2015-16
Registration for Kindergarten for the 2015-16 school year, will take place
on:
Monday, January 25, 2016
January 27-29, 2016
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.*
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
* Snow Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2016, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
For more information about registration and the Kindergarten program, call Holy Spirit School or visit www.dpcdsb.org.
PARENT EVENING TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION OF STUDENTS
WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES INTO KINDERGARTEN
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 differing abilities which affect their
learning, such as vision, hearing, speech, autism, physical/medical and/or
developmental delays in the 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.
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD IN PREPARING TO WRITE THE OSSLT
On Tuesday January 5th, 2016 the Dufferin-Peel Special Education
Advisory Committee (S.E.A.C.) is inviting parents and guardians of intermediate and secondary students with diverse learning needs who are
preparing to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
to attend a Parent Engagement Workshop: “Supporting Your Child in
Preparing to Write the OSSLT.” The event will take place on the third
floor of the DPCDSB Catholic Education Centre,
40 Matheson Blvd. West, Mississauga, from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. The evening, presented with funding from the Ministry of Education’s Parent
Reaching Out (P.R.O.) Grant will provide information, interactive resources and strategies for parents and guardians to use with their children from grades 7-10. Program Consultants will facilitate the event. A
light dinner will be served.
RAISING RESPONSIBLE CHILDREN
A special Presentation is scheduled for the January DRAPCE meeting.
Raising Responsible Children. Come and join us for a seminar by Ronald
Morrish, educator, international speaker and author of the books, Secrets
of Discipline and With All Due Respect. He will provide you with a host of
practical, common-sense strategies. It will be held on Wednesday January 27, 2016 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM st St. Valentine's School (5610
Heatherleigh Avenue, Mississauga, ON L5V 2V7)
Our children live in a world of social networking and on-line gaming. Their
"heroes" are from the entertainment industry, not the space program.
Given these issues and pressures, parents keep searching for effective
ways to help their children learn respect and responsibility, values and
character. Come and join us for a seminar by Ronald Morrish, educator,
international speaker and author of the books, Secrets of Discipline and
With All Due Respect. He will provide you with a host of practical, common sense strategies for raising responsible children and he will challenge you to adopt a positive view of discipline. You will go home with
many great ideas that you can start using the very next day.
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parent (s)/guardian (s), who wish to enroll their child in grade 5
Extended French class for September, 2016 are invited to attend an information meeting at St. Jean Brebeuf, 63 Glenforest Road, Brampton,
L6S1L8 on Thursday January 14, 2016 at 7:00 pm. At the present time,
the above mentioned school is the designated centre for our area. Applications will be accepted at that centre until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February
16th, 2016.
NEXT CSC MEETING
Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday January 20, 2016 in the
Conference Room. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S LUNCHBOX?
During the year please assist us in promoting healthy
eating by encouraging your child and/or caregivers to
pack healthy snacks and lunches. Research shows
that good health is a prerequisite for good learning. It is also a vital component of children’s growth and development. It is a fact: a healthy mind
depends on a healthy body. Students who eat healthy food are better
prepared to learn and are more likely to succeed in school. For more
information about Ontario’s healthy schools initiatives visit
www.ontario.ca/healthy schools
January 4
January 18
January 19
January 20
January 22
January 25
January 26
January 27-29
January 29
February 1
February 2
February 4
February 5
February 10
February 12
February 15
February 29
March 1
March 2
March 14-18
March 24
March 25
March 28
March 31
Back to School
PD Day
Intermediate teams @ ACC
CSC Meeting
SK and Grade 8 Graduation Pictures
RAID begins for Grade 6’s (J29, F12, F19, F26)
Kindergarten Registration (January 26 snow day)
Reconciliation Grade 2’s
Kindergarten Registration
Self-Control Virtues Liturgy
Term 2 begins
Term One Reports Go Home
Term One Evening Interviews
Sweater Day
PD Day—Interviews
Ash Wednesday: 1:30 Blessing of Ashes
White Friendship Dance
Family Day
Respect Virtues Liturgy
Immunization Clinic
CSC Meeting
Poetry Competition
March Break
Stations of the Cross
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Kindness Virtue Liturgy
Holy Spirit CSC Newsletter, January Edition
2016
Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas spent with family and friends.
Your Council is working hard on some upcoming events, but as always, new parents and guardians are
always welcome to help out, and our monthly meetings are always open to parents. Come see what
happens behind the scenes at our next meeting January 20th at 7:00pm in the school conference room.
If you cannot make the meeting but would like to share some fundraising ideas, or other ideas, please
feel to contact us. Leave a message with the office and we will be in touch.
We continue to collect milk bags as part of the Milk Bags Unlimited initiative throughout DPCDSB
schools. Milk bag mats are in great demand and are currently being shipped to Africa and other
countries worldwide via Dr. Simone’s Missions in Mississauga. This social justice project keeps nonbiodegradable plastic milk bags out of our landfills and recycled into sleeping mats for the needs of
others around the world.
We are asking families and friends to bring in clean dried milk bags (the outer shell only) to school. There
is a box set up in the office to collect the bags.
For more information including a video on how the bags are transformed into mats, please visit
http://milkbagsunlimited.ca/thank-you-all-2/
The new winter pizza run will begin in early February and forms will be sent out soon. The current pizza
schedule continues to the end of January.
Your time is valuable. We appreciate any time and help that you can spare. Thank you kindly.
Karen Dancy, Chairs, 2015-2016
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR)
BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER
2015 – 2016 SCHOOL YEAR
During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption of 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 and
television stations:
VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
NEWSTALK1010 AM
FM Z103.5
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
GLOBAL NEWS
CHUM AM1050
CJCL AM590
EZ ROCK FM97.3
FM93.1
CBC99.1
CTV
CFTR AM680
CHFI FM98.1
CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Q107
CITYPULSE
CANADA AM
We will be communicating one of six standard messages to the radio stations. The six
announcements and their effect on the transportation system are as follows: (Please note that
the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations).
1.
2.
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING
ST. ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND R.F. HALL
SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON ARE CANCELLED FOR
TODAY”.
• This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the Town of Caledon are
cancelled for the entire day.
3. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE COUNTY OF
DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY”.
• This means that all runs listed under announcements #l and #2 are cancelled.
• Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school.
4. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
• This means that ALL buses which operate into, out of, and within the City of Mississauga
are cancelled for the entire day.
5. “ALL DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
• This means that ALL transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board and the Peel District School Board, including buses, vans and taxis have
been cancelled for the entire day.
6. “ALL BUSES ARE CANCELLED AND THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE
DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED”.
• This means that ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel District School
board schools and offices are closed to all students and staff.
Note: For Secondary School students Riding Public Transit, cancellation of service will be
communicated by the respective transit property over the radio. Please be advised that Public
Transit rarely cancels and that the level of service on days with inclement weather is
unpredictable.
November 2015