St. Stephen Catholic School
17 Colonel Bertram Rd., L6Z 4N8, Brampton
Telephone: (905) 840-3921 Fax: (905) 840-6454
School Website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/STEPH
“With Love, Compassion,
Honesty, & Respect”
November 2015 – Volume 3
Principal
S. Rea
Head Secretary
Highlights:
PRAYER FOR NOVEMBER
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G. O’Handley
Superintendent
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D. Oude-Reimerink
Brampton North East
(905) 890-1221
Trustee
D. D’Souza
(905) 890-1221
Ward 2
Parish
St. Leonard
187 Conestoga Dr.
Brampton, Ontario
(905) 846-5385
Pastor
Fr. John Nosan
School Council Chairs
D. Vieira De Santis
R. Linton
Follow Us on
Twitter!
@DPCDSBSchools
Dear Lord,
In the rising of the sun and it’s
going down,
We will remember them.
In the blowing of the wind and in
the chill of winter,
We will remember them.
In the opening of the buds and in
the rebirth of spring,
We will remember them.
In the rushing of the leaves and in
the beauty of autumn,
We will remember them.
So long as we live, they too will
live.
AMEN
St. Stephen is now on Twitter!
Follow us @ststephDP
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Key Message for November
is…“Everyone Needs to Learn How to
Live in Peace”
Our Catholic Heritage
Catholic School Council
Safe Arrival Program
Storage & Administration of
Medication
Homework Help
Sharks Corner
Dates to Remember
Virtue of the Month: Conscience
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
What sacrifices did Catholics have to make to send
their children to separate schools?
Because the United Legislature of Canada East and Canada
West roughly consisted of members advocating nondenominational common schools and half were in favor of
them, separate school legislation, for about fifteen years,
contained three obstacles to their existence:
a)
Catholics could establish and support a separate school,
but had to continue paying common school taxes. Thus,
they paid tuition for their children in the separate
school;
b) The separate school had no permanence of existence. If
the local common school board hired a Catholic as one
of their teachers, then the separate school ceased to
exist. Separate schools kept opening and closing in the
early years;
c) In the cities the separate school board required the
permission of the common school board to open a new
or an additional separate school. Sometimes the
permission was not forthcoming.
d) The legislation required twelve Catholic heads of
family resident within a city, town or township common
school section. The townships’ common school
sections were so small that often there were not twelve
resident Catholic families.
Were these four obstacles removed?
FAITH ACTIVITIES
ST. LEONARD PARISH MASS TIMES
Saturday:
Sunday:
5:00 pm
9:00 am
10:30 am
12:00 NOON
Our Rosary Apostolate classrooms visits this year
are scheduled for Oct 15, Nov 12, Dec 10, Jan 21,
Feb 18, April 21, and May 19.
Sacramental Dates
Reconciliation – Wednesday January 20, 2016
First Communion Enrollment – Friday Sept 25th @ 7:00 pm
and Saturday October 3rd @ 9:30 pm at the Parish
Eucharistic Celebration – Saturday April 9, 2016 @ 10:00 am
Confirmation Enrolment – November 21/22 @ regular
weekend masses
Confirmation Practice – Wed. April 20, 2016 @ 10:00 am
Confirmation Day – Thursday April 21, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Yes. The United Legislature of Canada East and Canada West in
1853, 1855 and 1863 removed all four hindrances. There was no
more double taxation. It did not matter if there was a Catholic
teaching in the common school. The separate school board did
not need the permission of the common school board to open a
new or additional separate school. The number of Catholic heads
of family to establish school was lowered from twelve to five.
As a result, the number of separate schools grew considerably.
What effect did the Canadian Constitution, create in the
British North America Act (1867) (now entitled either the
Constitution Act or the Canada Act), have on separate
schools?
When the Fathers of Confederation came from New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Canada East and Canada West to meet in
Charlottetown and Quebec, they quickly concluded, in the words
of one of the Fathers, Sir Charles Tupper, that “Without this
guarantee for the rights of minorities being embodied in that new
constitution, we should have been unable to obtain any
Confederation whatever.”
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Future Meeting Dates are:
Tues Nov 3rd, 2015 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wed Jan 13th, 2016 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tues Feb 9th, 2016 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wed April 13th, 2016 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tues May 10th, 2016 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
All meetings will be in the Staff Room
All are warmly welcomed to attend
Our Potluck Luncheon will be held on Wednesday
June 1st, 2016 at 11:45 am in the Library
SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS
Re-takes are scheduled for, Nov 17th. Class photos will
be taken on this day as well.
Bring your smiles! 
Graduation Photos will take place on Jan 21, 2016.
BUS INFORMATION
Transportation eligibility is determined by a student’s
home
address.
The
following
website,
www.businfo.stopr.ca is available to students,
parents/guardians, school administrators, secretaries
and school bus operators. Parents/guardians who are
eligible for transportation will be able to login to the
www.businfo.stopr.ca site and access details of their
child’s transportation arrangements.
PROGRESS REPORT CARDS
Progress Report Cards will go home with students on
November 17th, 2015. Interviews will be held on the evening
of November 19th, 2015.
VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
Please remember that to other children, you are a stranger. All
school doors are locked at all times and a monitored entry system is
active at the front door of our school. Please enter the school through
the front doors and report to the office, sign in, and pick up a visitor
pass. Prior to leaving, sign out and return your visitor’s pass. Any
individuals wandering the school without appropriate identification
will be asked to report to the office. Please help us to maintain a
safe and welcoming environment for your children.
Parents/guardians are also kindly asked to bid your child(ren)
farewell from beyond the playground. Only students and staff are
to be in the schoolyard. Again, this is to ensure the safety of your
child(ren). Your attention to this is most appreciated.
Please be reminded that dogs are not permitted in the schoolyard
area at any time. The excitement of the children or the bell ringing
can frighten dogs. Also, some students are afraid or allergic.
VOLUNTEERS
We are always looking for dedicated parents/guardians to
help with events within the school. If you are interested in
sharing some of your time, please call the school office and
register your name.
Please note that all volunteers in a school, including those
accompanying students on educational excursions, must
have a criminal reference check on file in the school office in
order to be able to volunteer at the school or to accompany
students on educational excursions.
CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS
Anyone working in our school as an employee or volunteer
must provide the school with a Criminal Reference Check
completed by Peel Police. Criminal Reference Checks are free
of charge for volunteers. Forms are available in the office.
You are encouraged to get your Criminal Reference Check
completed early so that you do not miss out on any
opportunities to volunteer at the school or on educational
excursions.
KISS & RIDE SAFETY
St. Stephen is proud of its Kiss and Ride Program. In order for it to
continue to run smoothly and safely for all our students, everyone
needs to follow the same procedure. Please obey the following
procedures when driving into the school parking lot:
The entry, exit, cross walk and bus zone, on school property, must
never be blocked by cars. Ample space must be left for buses to
enter and exit the school property.
Please park in the parking spots at the school or on the street.
Do not park in any of the lanes in the front of the school and
please do not leave your car unattended.
A call for support…
The St. Stephen school community is requesting any
gently used or unwanted Christmas materials for our
upcoming Craft Club. We will also be collecting basic
Lego sets for a possible Lego Club and curriculum
support. If you would like to donate, please drop off
your items at the main office. Thank you for your
support!
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM - Attendance Verification
Daily attendance at school and punctuality are very
important. If your child is going to be late or absent from
school, please inform the office at (905) 840-3921. The school
has an answering machine to receive messages at any time of
the day or night. The child’s parent or the legal guardian must
call the school regarding their child’s absence.
When calling, please provide the following:
 Name of student (first & last, spell the last name)
 Name of teacher
 Grade
 Reason for absence
REGULAR ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY
Regular attendance and punctuality are important life skills
that apply not only in the educational setting, but also in
various other settings and especially in the work place. When
a student arrives late, it can be a disruption to his/her
learning as well as to the learning of the other students in the
class. A total of the number of days absent and late are
documented and become part of the student’s record.
Students should arrive on time to line up with their peers
when the bell rings. It is important to address frequent
absences and late arrivals for non-medical reasons early as
they may have a long-term negative impact. It is a parent’s
responsibility, as outlined in the Education Act, to ensure that
their child is in regular attendance and on time for school.
When regular attendance and punctuality are problematic, a
meeting with parents, the principal and other school personal
may be required in order to discuss a plan for helping the
child improve attendance and/or prompt arrival.
PLASP – CHILD CARE SERVICES
PLASP Child Care Services operates before and after school
programs at St. Stephen. The before school program operates
from 7:30 am until school begins at 8:45 am. A nutritious
breakfast is served daily. The after school program runs from
the end of the school day at 3:15 pm until 6:00 pm. Children
participate in recreational activities, are served a nutritious
snack daily and have time for homework. Fee assistance is
available for those who qualify.
For more information on the PLASP, Child Care Services
Program, visit our PLASP Director, before and after school at
St. Stephen or call the PLASP Head Office at 905-890-1711.
You can also visit the website at www.plasp.com
STORAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
OF MEDICATION
Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that all
medication and forms are completed and updated
annually for any student who requires medication to be
administered at school. If your child requires
medication, please have the necessary forms completed
and return them, along with the medication, to the office
as soon as possible. Forms are available at the school
office.
All medication is stored in the office area. The only
exception to this requirement has to do with any child
who, because of life threatening allergies, must carry
medication.
ALLERGEN AWARE SCHOOL
PEANUT & OTHER LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES,
SABRINA’S LAW ANAPHYLAXIS REACTION
Sabrina’s Law is an Act to protect anaphylactic students
in publicly funded schools in Ontario.
Named
“Sabrina’s Law” in honor of an Ontario student who
died following an anaphylactic reaction in 2003, the law
became effective on January 1, 2006.
As we begin the new school year, we would like to
inform you that St. Stephen is an allergen aware school.
There are pupils in attendance at our school who suffer
from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods,
such as: peanuts, nuts and their by-products. Exposure
to the smallest quantities can cause severe and life
threatening reactions in some students. Anaphylaxis is a
severe and life threatening allergic reaction. The most
common allergen triggers are food, insect stings,
medications, exercise and latex. An anaphylactic
reaction involves symptoms from two or more body
systems.
We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire
school community by NOT sending any lunches or
snacks that contain peanuts, nuts or their by-products.
We want St. Stephen’s to be a safe environment for all
students.
Thank you for your assistance with this initiative.
HOMEWORK HELP
VIRTUE ASSEMBLY
Thank you to Mrs. Klukowski, Mrs. Stokoe and our
students for our Virtue Assembly this month.
Congratulations to all our Virtue of the Month
recipients. We want to thank them for being exemplary
role models and for living out the virtues in their daily
lives.
A special thank you to all the families that joined us.
Recognizing the virtue of Empathy…
Homework Help is a free service, offering live oneon-one tutoring by certified Ontario teachers.
Tutors tailor teaching strategies to each student,
taking the time to understand the specific
challenges for each learner and gear the sessions
to meet the student’s needs.
Homework Help offers 24/7 math resources for
Ontario students in grades 7 to 10. HH resources
are diverse, covering the key skills learned in
grades 7 to 10. Resources are skill based, not
sorted by grade making them welcoming to
learners filling their gaps.
Parents can sign up for a free guest account.
Get resources and tools 24/7:
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Math videos
Interactive exercises & activities
Scientific calculator…and more!
You can help your child with math.
Teachers are standing by:
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Every Sunday to Thursday
5:30 pm to 9:30 pm ET
Register at ontario.ca/HomeworkHelpHH tutors
develop student understanding through:
 Scaffolding
 Direct instruction
 Guiding questions
 Demonstrating and Modeling
 Summarizing for consolidation
 Descriptive feedback
During the month of November we will focus on the
virtue of Conscience and we look forward to our next
Virtue Assembly on November 25th @ 9:30 am.
HH tutoring provides opportunities for:
 Reciprocal teaching: have students teach
each other the method they learned with a
HH tutor
 Higher order questions: students can
stretch their understanding with the
support of a teacher coming alongside
SAFE, CARING, HEALTHY &
INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS
The key message for November is…
“Everyone Needs to Learn How to Live in Peace”
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s
initiative to create safe, caring, healthy and inclusive school
communities is rooted in our Catholic identity, in particular,
our shared belief in the dignity of all persons created in God’s
image. Safe Schools Policies include Bullying Prevention and
a school wide Progressive Discipline approach.
BULLYING PREVENTION
INITIATIVES
In November students will focus on the
message of peace. Peace is defined as inner
contentment, serenity and harmonious
relations. Students will create a unique ‘peace
place’ in each of their classrooms. The ‘peace
place’ is an area identified and decorated by
students that they can use to take a moment
for personal reflection or to resolve conflict
with another student. This idea of having a
‘calming’ space is used in schools, workplaces
and family homes.
Tips for Parents/Guardians:
At St. Stephen we have a variety of Bullying Prevention
Initiatives, including our Virtues Program, Positive Climate
Initiative, PALS, Circle of Friends and other meaningful
school wide and classroom programs and activities.
- help your child learn to recognize early signs
that they are becoming agitated or upset
VIRTUES INITIATIVE
- learn the steps of the conflict resolution
model the school uses and apply those at home
A Catholic Faith Community is rooted in a set of common
beliefs which are inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus.
As a Catholic Community we are called to learn, to grow and
to become more like Jesus in the way we see and treat others.
Our Catholic faith plays an important role in helping us shape
schools that are safe, caring, healthy and inclusive.
Catholic School Education provides us the opportunity to
integrate virtue formation into all areas of our life within the
context of our faith. St. Stephen Catholic School will again
focus our attention on the Catholic Virtues. This program is
designed to help us nurture virtue and character development
in the lives of our students. Each month the whole school will
focus on a different virtue. Classroom activities, school wide
activities and assemblies will all focus on a specific virtue each
month.
September – Faith
October – Empathy
November – Conscience
December – Hope
January – Self Control
February - Respect
March - Kindness
April - Love
May - Acceptance
June - Fairness
- create a calming space or reflection area in
your home
GLEE CLUB
We are very excited that our Glee Club is continuing
here at St. Stephen Glee Club!
This group of talented students will be using their
musical gifts to spread school spirit and entertain our
school community.
Thank you to Mrs. Muir for her continued support
with this popular club.
CASUAL MONDAYS
You may have noticed that the staff at St. Stephen
is dressed casually on Mondays. Through their
generous donations made on these Fridays, we are
supporting Share Life and the many charities
affiliated with the United Way of Peel (Christian
charities).
SHARKS CORNER
Congratulations to the Junior Girls and Junior Boys
Volleyball Teams. Both teams put forth a consistent effort at
the tournament On October 5th, and both teams came in
third.
MILK PROGRAM
Girls team: Hannah R, Arianna P, Maya I, Sophia A, Sophia
W, Lauren S, Madelyn S, and Julia K. Coached by: Mrs.
Chaves and Mrs. Spizzirri. Boys team: Matteo V, Owen O,
Christian P, Ben W, Elliot E, Steven N, William C, Michael
W, and Anthony L. Coached by: Mrs. McCallum and Mrs.
Davis.
St. Stephen Catholic School will continue to offer a
milk program to all our students. White and chocolate
milk are available each day.
1.
NELSON MATH WEBSITE
Teachers, students, and parents can visit this site
for web links and other online support for Nelson
Mathematics K-8 at www.nelson.com
INDOOR SHOES
All students are asked to bring a pair of indoor
shoes to school. Students are kindly asked to
change into their indoor shoes when in the
building.
This will assist in keeping our
classrooms clean and dry. Wet floors can cause
slips and falls. Also, in the event of a fire alarm,
students will not be able to stop to put their boots
on, so it is important for students to wear shoes at
all times.
Student Votes
Author Visit
Voter turnout was high for the Student Vote election
that took place on Friday, October 16. Students in
grades 4-8 participated by casting their votes for the
candidates running in Brampton North in a process
identical to that of Elections Canada. Poll clerks from
grades 4 and 6 and Deputy Returning Officers from
grade 7 tabulated the results at the conclusion of the
vote. They were sworn to secrecy until the results of the
actual election were known. Despite the long lines at
the polls, students waited patiently and learned about
civic responsibility and our election process.
It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Susan
Aguilo, author, to St. Stephen School Library in
early October. In keeping with our continuous
focus on literacy and the celebration of books,
Susan provided an inspiring presentation for all
classes from Grade 1 to 8. Students learned about
what it is like to write children’s books and fantasy
fiction novels, where to get ideas, to plan, to edit,
illustrate and publish books. Susan shared several
readings with classes from her Bedtime Series as
well as readings from her latest novel for our Junior
and Intermediate grades. Mrs. Aguilo was
engaging, animated and read her books with
personal flare. Students had the opportunity to
view her collection and receive a personally
autographed book.
FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Following are the dates which have been identified for Kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school
year. One central system-wide permit will be issued for the use of elementary schools on these dates.

Full Day Kindergarten Registration
Monday, January 25, 2016
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
SNOW DATE: Tuesday, January 26, 2016
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Full Day Kindergarten Registration
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Students with Differing Abilities into Kindergarten
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Tuesday, January 12, 2016 – CEC Room 301, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
(Snow Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2016)
Congratulations to our Cross Country
Thank you to all our families who
Team for representing us so well at our
supported our Chocolate Fundraiser this
meet.
year. A special thank you to our
A big thank you to all our coaches for
their commitment and dedication to the
day!
On Thursday, October 22nd 2015 the St. Stephen Cross
Country Team participated in the Brampton North East
Cross Country Meet. St. Stephen was very well represented
with over 40 runners from grades 4 to 8. All of our runners
ran their best races that day finishing the season very
strong. The coaches are extremely proud of the whole cross
country team for their dedication and amazing team
spirit. We are also super proud of the 14 members of the
team that made it to the board finals which took place on
Monday, October 26, 2015. Congratulations to all runners,
especially Anthony L. who finished first at the family meet
and then came in fifth at the board finals. Our grade 4/5
boys also finished strong and placed first as a team at the
family meet earning a first place banner. Thank you all for
a great season. See you all back next September!!
The Cross Country Coaches
dedicated and committed Catholic
School Council for all their hard work
behind the scenes which made this year
another successful one. Your
contributions will help support many
initiatives at St. Stephen in support of
student achievement, student
engagement and student well-being.
God Bless you all!
Making the call to our First Place
Winner…priceless…
DATES TO REMEMBER
Nov 5
Nov 11
Nov 17
Nov 17
Nov 19
Nov 25
Nov 27
Grade 7 Hepatitis B, Meningococcal
Meningitis, and Grade 8 HPV for females
Remembrance Day
Progress Report to go home
Photo Re-take Day
Reporting Evening
Virtue Assembly
Grade 8’s visiting Notre Dame
Dec 11
Dec 14 - 17
Dec 15
Dec 16
Dec 17
Kindergarten Christmas Concert @ 1:30 pm
Scholastic Book Fair
Advent Mass
Christmas Concert (grade 1 – 3) @ 7:00 pm
Virtue Assembly
Jan 21
Jan 26
Graduation Photos
Jan 27-29
Jan 27
Jan 27
Full Day Kindergarten Registration 9am - 3pm
Virtue Assembly
Round 2 – Grade 8 HPV, Dose 2, Hep B catchup & Meningococcal vaccinations
Feb 2
Feb 4
Feb 5
Feb 26
Report cards sent home
Interview Evening
P.A. Day, Reporting to Parents
Virtue Assembly
March 2
March 30
Lenten Mass
Virtue Assembly
Snow Date for Full Day Kindergarten Registration
Thank you Mr. Hamilton for the great work
you do for all of us at St. Stephen!
ADVENT SEASON
Our Advent Season will begin on the first Sunday
of Advent, November 27th, 2015 and ends on
Saturday December 24, 2015. We will celebrate
the Advent Season with a Mass on Tuesday
December 15th, 2015 @ 9:30 am at the school. We
hope you can join us! This year we will continue
our Charitable Drives which include;
Clothing – mittens, hats, scarves, socks
Food – non-perishable food items
New Toys – Peel Regional Police Drive
The most wonderful time of the year is
soon approaching us
~ Christmas~
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Our Christmas Concert is scheduled for
Wednesday December 16th, 2015. We look
forward to the performances from our Glee Club
and our grade 1 to grade 3 classes.
Our Kindergarten Christmas Concert is scheduled
for December 11th @ 1:30 pm. Please join us!
To support our Christmas Outreach Initiative,
families are asked to bring in a non-perishable food
item. Donations are welcome for St. Vincent de
Paul. We look forward to a fun-filled evening.
More information coming!