ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
L.Papaloni…..Superintendent
905-890-1221
A. DaSilva…. ………..…Trustee
905-890-0708
ext. 20154
V. Pugliese ……………Principal
C. Bianchi ……….........Secretary
C. Dye…....School Council Chair
905-796-0037
PARISH
St. Jerome
8530 Chinguacousy Road
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 5G4
Tel: 905-455-4260
Fax: 905-450-6326
Pastor
Fr. J. Kolodynski
School Hours
Start:
Recess:
Lunch:
Recess :
Dismissal:
8:50
11:00 – 11:15
11:55 – 12:55
2:20 – 2:35
3:20
Love
Learn
Light”
Lord Jesus Christ,
You gather your people during this Holy Season of
Lent,
and call us to repent.
As we return back to you once again,
open our hearts,
so that we might be transformed in your image.
Remove any barriers that keep us from you,
so that we may live fully the life we received at
Baptism.
Help us to love you more
and to reach out to others in friendship,
especially to those who need it most.
May Your sacrifice
remind us of Your call to change.
May Your Spirit give us the courage and strength,
we need to be people of faith
By Your grace,
may we turn to You in our abundance,
and share Your love with the world around us.
We ask this in Jesus’ name
Amen
March Break Reminder
The March Break this year falls on the week of March 11th to 15th. School
resumes again on Monday, March 18th. The last day of classes before the March
Break is Friday March 8th.
Message from the Principal
The Liturgical Season of Lent comes to an end at
the end of the month. Lent offers us all a very
special opportunity to grow in our relationship with God
and to deepen our commitment to a way of life, rooted in
our baptism. In our busy world, Lent provides us with an
opportunity to reflect upon our patterns, to pray more
deeply, experience sorrow for what we've done and failed
to do, and to be generous to those in need. As Catholics
we are called to almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
During the Lenten season the Church invites us to a
change of heart. This is a season that we can commit
ourselves to being more reflective. We can make a point
of being more observant, more aware of what we are
experiencing - paying more attention to what is often
"automatic" behaviour. We can focus on the beauty of the
world that God has created and remember to thank Him for
all that he has given us.
Fasting is not about losing weight or getting in shape; - it
is about being more alert. Anyone who has tried to diet
knows that something changes in us when we try to avoid
eating. The monks in the desert, centuries ago, discovered
that fasting caused a tremendous boost to their
consciousness. Not only did their bodies go on "alert," but
their whole person seemed to be in a more heightened state
of awareness. The whole purpose of fasting was to aid
prayer - to make it easier to listen to God more openly.
During the season of Lent, the Church also calls us to
practice generosity. Generosity is not simply the giving of
excess clothes to a place where people who are in need
might purchase them. Nor is it simply giving a generous
donation at the time a collection is taken up for a cause
that benefits the poor. While these are wonderful
practices, generosity is an attitude. It is a sense that no
matter how much we have, all that we have is a gift from
God, given to us to be shared. It means that sharing with
others is a priority of ours. That is quite different from
assessing all of our own needs first, and then giving away
what is left over. This kind of self-sacrificing generosity
places us in solidarity with the poor, who share with each
other, without having any excess. It also joins us with
Jesus, who gave himself completely, for us.
In the end, the prayer of St. Augustine places us in the
right spirit for Lent: “O Lord, you have created us for
yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day - March 17th
An Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Virtue of the Month
Kindness
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 out along the way.
Every person in our lives carries
the Spirit of God and so every
person is our brother or sister
through Jesus. 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
is not enough to say I will be
kind or I am kind. We must
show that we are kind by our
words and our actions. Through
prayer and concentration, we can
get better at showing kindness to
everyone we meet.
A kind person…
 Says nice things about others
so they feel good about
themselves
 Sticks up for people who are
picked on or need help
 Refuses to join others who
are insulting, intimidating,
mean or hurtful
 Watches and looks for ways
to help those in need.
Holy Week Celebration: Stations of the Cross
The most important event in our Catholic faith is Jesus‟
resurrection. Every Easter, we are reminded of the
sacrifice that Jesus made for us. In celebration of this
event, our Catholic Student Leaders will be re-enacting the
Stations of the Cross. This presentation will take place on
Thursday, March 28th in the school gym. The Stations of
the Cross presentation will take place at 9:30 and 1:00. As
always parents are welcome and encouraged to attend. We
hope to see you there!
EASTER MASS
Father Jan will be celebrating our Easter Mass on Friday
April 5th in the school gymnasium, at 9:30 a.m. As always,
parents and family members are most welcome to join us
in this Eucharistic Celebration.
Sacraments
Please remember in your prayers our Grade 2 students who
celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation on
Saturday, March 2nd. First Holy Communion will
take place on Sunday, April 28th at 12:00 noon at
St. Jerome Church.
Students in grade 8 will be receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation on Tuesday May 21st, at 7:00 p.m. If you
have any questions regarding your child‟s sacraments,
please contact the church office at (905) 455-4260.
ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO LAUNCHES
PASTORAL PLAN
Cardinal Thomas Collins has announced the Pastoral Plan
of the Archdiocese of Toronto. An insert was included in a
previous St. Jerome‟s Parish weekend bulletin which
summarizes the document and provides a guide to this
faith journey. All Catholics are encouraged to pray and
discern how each one of us can contribute to the overall
goals of the Plan, living a faith acts in all that we do. The
full Plan available on line at www.archtoronto.org/pastoral
(available in many languages)
On Friday March 1st, staff, students, parents and
grandparents enjoyed a day of hopping and bopping to
music, in support of our ShareLife Dance-a-Thon. We
would like to offer a big thank you to everyone in the St.
Brigid School community for their support of this event.
Our Dance-a-Thon was a huge success. As a school we
raised at total of $ 2,660.63. This money will be presented
to Father Jan at our Easter Mass on Friday April 5 th. We
would also like to thank our Catholic School Council for
providing the D.J. and treats. Our ShareLife Dance-aThon again showed the true spirit of St. Brigid School!
Reconciliation
Please note that on Tuesday March 12th at 7:30 pm. there
will be a Lenten Reconciliation at St. Jerome Church. All
students, especially those students that will be receiving
the Sacrament of Confirmation, are encouraged to attend
and prepare for Easter.
St. Jerome Parish Youth News
The St. Jerome Youth Group meets weekly on Tuesday
evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Feel free to join in at the
7 p.m. mass before the meeting. Each week the students
explore their faith, play games and form many friendships.
New members in Grades 8 to 12 are always welcome.
Staffing Updates:
We would like to welcome Jakob Lorenzo Di Vito to the
St. Brigid Family. Jakob Lorenzo was born on March 2nd
at 9:08 pm, weighing in at 6 pounds 8 ounces.
Congratulation to Mr. and Mrs. Di Vito. Welcome to Ms.
Solovka, who is replacing Ms. Di Vito while she is on her
maternity leave, and will be at St. Brigid for the remainder
of the school year. We would also like to welcome Ms.
Sebasta, who will be at St. Brigid until Mrs. Hill returns.
Also new to St. Brigid is Ms. Canning, who will be
replacing Mrs. Murray for a short while. Welcome to all
three.
All three teachers come with a wealth of
experience. I am confident that they will continue to
provide the care, support and programming that you have
come to expect at St. Brigid.
We would also like to congratulate and welcome
Mississauga Brampton Central‟s new Superintendent,
Lucy Papaloni. We are looking forward to having our Ms.
Papaloni visit St. Brigid.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 PRESS 1
St. Brigid Catholic School Council News
Our next Catholic School Council meeting has been
scheduled for Monday March 18th at 7:00 p.m. All parents
are welcome to attend. Please come out to help make St.
Brigid School the very best it can be for all the children.
Popcorn
Our Catholic School Council will continue to sell Popcorn
every Thursday. Bring your toonies and enjoy a bag of
Kernels popcorn.
Family Skate Night
On Monday February 25th, students, parents and teachers
enjoyed an evening of pleasure skating at South Fletcher
Arena. Our first ever Family Skate Night was sponsored
by our St. Brigid Catholic School Council and was a huge
success. A good time was had by all. We wish to extend a
special thank you to our Council for organizing the
evening.
Customer Rebate Program
Don‟t forget to keep bringing in your Swiss Chalet receipts
from the Swiss Chalet on Financial Drive. Swiss Chalet
(Financial Drive location) will give us a cheque for 10% of
our school‟s total purchases before tax. All you have to do
is remember to send in your receipt!
Holiday Homework
Homework is generally work not completed in
class or reinforcement of concepts taught in
class. Often when parents take holidays other than during
regularly scheduled holiday times, we are requested to
provide homework which would cover the same material
as the students may miss. It is better to take full advantage
of what can be learned on the trip and have students read
material related to what they will see and write a journal
about their activities. In general, if a concept is not taught
to a student, then homework will not be assigned.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site through
the School Board‟s website
at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/cec
E.Q.A.O. Testing -- Grades Three and Six
A reminder that this year the EQAO assessment
for Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will run from
May 27th to June 6th. We ask that parents of students in
these grades ensure that their children are in attendance
during these weeks. Visit DPCDSB on the web for Board
and School profiles http://www.dpcdsb.org/EQAO
Fraser Institute
The 2012 Fraser Institute ranking of Ontario Schools has
ranked St. Brigid School number one in all of Brampton.
The report uses Grade 3 and Grade 6 EQAO test results to
calculate each school's overall rating out of 10.
Congratulations to students, parents and teachers.
Parking Enforcement
City of Brampton Parking Enforcement officers have been
vigilant in enforcing city parking by-laws in the area
around the school. Please be aware of where you park
your vehicle. There are fire hydrants and other No Parking
/ No Stopping areas that need to be observed.
Please note that vehicles in the Kiss „N‟ Ride lane should
not be left unattended, as they could be ticketed. Please do
not park in the Kiss „N‟ Ride Lanes and walk your child to
their entry point. If you wish to walk your child, we
request that you park on the street and escort your child.
Cars parked in the Kiss „N‟ Ride create a very dangerous
situation and also impede the flow of traffic.
When in the Kiss „N‟ Ride lane, please have your child
exit your vehicle from the passenger side. It is very
dangerous to exit out into the “Drive Through Lane”.
Also, we ask that all vehicles move to the front of the Kiss
„N‟ Ride lane prior to letting out students.
Also, please be aware that only vehicles that have a
handicap sign displayed in their vehicle are allowed to
park in the handicap parking spots in the school parking
lot.
Under no conditions should vehicles without a
handicap sign park in these designated areas.
We respectfully request your co-operation when
driving and parking on school grounds.
Peel Public Health - Immunization
Peel Public Health will be reviewing immunization records
of all students at our school from January 2013. Peel
Public Health must have proof that your child has been
fully vaccinated (immunized) according to the Ontario
immunization schedule. If you receive a letter, please
ensure that your child has received the required vaccine(s),
then give the date(s) your child received these vaccine
dose(s) to Peel Public Health immediately to update your
child‟s record.
For more information, please call Peel Public Health at
905-799-7700 or visit www.ImmunizePeel.ca. Translation
services are available.
IMMUNIZE ON TIME.
REPORT EVERY TIME.
End of the Day Dismissal
Please try to co-ordinate end of the day pick up
arrangements with your child(ren) prior to 3:20. The
office often receives calls just before the 3:20 bell rings,
asking us to notify students of changes in their normal
dismissal patterns. The end of the school day is often a
very busy time in the office. Please be aware that calls just
prior to the bell do not allow office staff much time to
contact classroom teachers. Where possible, a note in the
student‟s agenda would be of great assistance. While we
are aware that there are always special circumstances, preplanning pick-ups would be a great help to us.
Science Olympics
Congratulations to our junior Science Olympics teams who
participated in the Mississauga Brampton Central Family
of Schools Science Olympics on February 22nd. The
students displayed their skill in the various branches of
science and placed first in one of the events. Thank you to
their coaches, Ms. Serrentino and Mrs. Albi.
Report All Immunizations Your
Child Receives to Peel Public
Health.



Online at
www.immunizepeel.ca
Call Peel Public Health at
905-799-7700
Fax at 905-565-0426
Late Arrivals
We continue to have a number of students arriving at
school after the bell has rung. School begins promptly at
8:50 am. Parents are encouraged to have their children at
school at least five minutes before the bell. Children who
are late must report to the office and sign in. Students
who arrive late for school are missing
valuable learning time. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Snow and Ice
Please remind your children that their safety is of the
utmost importance to us. Snow is always to stay on the
ground. Snowball throwing or kicking snow or ice at
anyone is not permitted here at St. Brigid School. Also,
students are encouraged to work together to build
with the snow. Students are reminded that at St.
Brigid we build together, we don‟t destroy. This
especially applies to snow forts that are built during
the recess periods.
World Read Aloud Day
Everyone loves a good book and the perfect way to spend
World Read Aloud Day on March 6, 2013 is to cosy up
with your family and read. It is a day to celebrate reading
and storytelling with the entire world. It is also the perfect
way to spend quality time together helping to develop
reading skills and a creative imagination. There are 793
million people in the world who cannot read and World
Read Aloud Day is about showing the world that we all
have the right to read and write by motivating children and
adults to share the reading experience and create a
community of readers.
At St. Brigid on March 6th we are taking action!! The
entire school community will gather together to read aloud
and raise our voices. Come out and join us between 1:00
and 2:00, and show the children that by sharing our words
we can change the world.
Green Team
St Brigid Green Team is busy planning events for the rest
of the year. In March the school will be participating in
Earth Hour and a Spring Clean Up, if it ever stops
snowing. The students are also promoting Energy
Conservation, like turning off the monitors and lights when
they are not in use. We will also be conducting a waste
audit at the school to ensure that we are recycling
properly. Our Green Thumbs team will be busy mulching
and tending to our flower beds in the Spring. Parents
please continue to send in your clean milk bags for Haiti
and reusable lunch containers for your child's lunch. We
are hoping to receive an EcoSchool certification by
getting students energized about maintaining a healthy
environment.
Are You Moving?
We are in the process of planning classes and
staffing for the 2013/2014 school year. If you
are planning to move anytime between now
and September 2013, please inform the school at your
earliest possible convenience.
Class List Formation for 2013 - 2014
We will soon begin the process of making up the class lists
for next fall. This is a complex procedure which takes into
consideration not only the needs of the individual child,
but frames those needs in the context of the larger
classroom group. In each class we strive for a balance of
learning styles, a balance of gender, a balance of learning
needs and a cross-section of abilities.
The current teachers of a grade, support staff and
administration all take part in the process. If you wish to
provide input into the process, please take into
consideration the following guidelines: Input must be
made in writing to the Principal no later than April 30 th,
2013. Requests should be made in terms of educational
contexts, e.g. your child‟s learning needs/strengths/style,
information not already known to the school, best learning
environment. Please do not make requests for specific
teachers as staffing is always tentative and changes can
take place between now and September.
Flexible Boundary Policy
Many students attend St. Brigid School under the “Flexible
Boundary policy”. This offers convenience for many
parents who access daycare in the area. Parents who have
requested flexible boundary admittance for their children
must be aware that the policy will be considered on a
student-by-student, year-to-year basis taking into account
the class size of the students who are enrolling and the
resources available at the school. While we offer support
to all of our students, please understand that the
availability of the flexible boundary policy should never
negatively impact on the class size and school resources.
Parents requesting flex boundaries are asked to do so in
writing. Please feel free to call the school if you have any
questions regarding this policy.
Lunch Time Monitors
We are in need of Lunch Time Student
Monitors. If you are interested in becoming a
Lunch Time Student Monitor (either on a full time or part
time basis) at St. Brigid School and are available during
the lunch hour, please come into the school office and fill
out an application form.
You
may
go
to
www.stopr.ca for daily
bus cancellations or delays.
Intermediate Girls Basketball
The intermediate girls basketball had an excellent
season. They won first place in their Pod tournament,
which carried them through to compete in the Family
Tournament. At the family tournament, the girls played
long and hard against the fierce competition that was
there. Unfortunately, the girls did not come out on top, but
they are champions in the eyes of their coaches, Miss
Duliunas and Mrs. Balchand. What a great season ladies!
The athletes on the team were: Akilah, Fiona, Claudia,
Anna, Chelsea, Stephanie, Samantha, Aisosa, Maria, and
Caroline.
Intermediate Boys Basketball
Congratulations to the intermediate boys
basketball team who competed in the Board Tournament at
St. Roch Secondary School. The boys finished first in
their division by defeating Cardinal Newman, 45 – 21,
tying Good Sheppard, 35 – 35, and beating Josephine
Bakhita, 35 – 27. In the semi-finals, St. Brigid faced
Guardian Angel, and won easily, 55 – 25. The win put
them in the finals against Josephine Bakhita. After a hard
fought game, St. Brigid came out on top 41 – 30 to clinch
the title of best intermediate boys basketball team in
Dufferin-Peel….Board Champions!!!!!! Congratulations
team members: Phaul, Jaiden,, Tony, Yaw, Matthew,
Daniel K., Michael, Daniel L., Abraham and Dominik. A
special thank you to their coach, Mr. Fitzpatrick.
Bullying Prevention Corner
In March, the bullying prevention key
message is that Bullying Can Be
Stopped. We cannot tolerate bullying.
We need to let others know when we see
bullying happening.
We realize that
bullies come in all shapes and sizes and
that those who are being bullied have not
done anything wrong. Bystanders can
either make or break the bullying. If we
refuse to become involved in the bullying,
by laughing, encouraging, etc. then the
power of the bully is diminished.
Furthermore, if we can safely stand up for
those that are bullied, then the bully‟s
power is further reduced. One thing that
we all must do is to let an adult know
when bullying is happening. As was
mentioned last month, this is not tattling,
but rather reporting an unsafe behaviour in
order to help someone. We all have a
responsibility to stop bullying and if we all
work together we can stop bullying.
OUR CATHOLIC HERITAGE:
On February 11th, Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world,
and more specifically the 1.2 billion Catholics around the
world, by announcing that he would be retiring on
February 28th at 8:00 pm. This marks the first time in
almost 600 years that an active Pope has stepped down as
the leader of the Catholic Church.
The last Pope to resign, prior to Pope Benedict XVI, was
Pope Gregory XII, who resigned on July 4th, 1415. Pope
Gregory XII was caught up in the leadership crisis known
as the Great Schism, in which three rival popes had been
elected by rival church factions. To end the split, the
Council of Constance ordered the resignations of all three.
Both Gregory and John XXIII agreed to resign, but another
pope Benedict, the thirteenth, refused and was then
excommunicated. (More than five centuries later, Angelo
Giuseppe Roncalli also took the name John XXIII when he
became Pope in 1958.) Pope Gregory XII was recognized
as the legitimate Pontiff by the Church, became a bishop
and retired.
Prior to Pope Benedict XII‟s resignation, Pope Celestine
V's abdication in 1294 was the last case in Church history
in which a Pope willingly and on his own accord resigned
the Papacy. Celestine was a Benedictine hermit who
obstinately refused to accept the Papacy and tried to flee,
until he was finally persuaded by a group of Cardinals to
accept and become Pontiff. One of Pope Celestine V‟s
final decrees was to declare the right of the pope to resign,
which he promptly exercised after five months and eight
days in office.
Cardinals from all over the world are now gathering in the
Vatican to begin the process of selecting a new pontiff.
All the Cardinals are eligible to participate in the General
Congregation meetings, but only the 115 Cardinals who
are under the age of 80 will actually cast ballots in the
Conclave (the electoral process for selecting a new pope).
At the moment, there are a total of 207 Cardinals.
Once the Conclave begins, all cardinals under 80 years old
will remain in the Sistine Chapel, under locked doors, until
they choose a new pope. The voting proceeds without
speech or debate. Each Cardinal receives a ballot and
inscribes a name. A two-thirds majority is needed for
election. Each completed ballot is placed on an open paten,
then dropped into a chalice. If the two-thirds majority is
not reached, the ballots are burned in a stove with a
chemical to emit black smoke. White smoke signals the
election of the new pontiff. Balloting occurs twice a day
until a Pope is elected.
Once a Pope is selected, the presiding Cardinal approaches
the elected for his consent. If he accepts, he chooses a
papal name. He then dresses in white and is announced to
the world from the balcony above Saint Peter‟s Square.
Pope Benedict will now be referred to as Pope Emeritus.
He will move to the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo
(24 kilometres south of Rome)
The World within St. Brigid School
In February we celebrated Black History Month. In March
turn our attention to cultural diversity, as we celebrate
Multicultural Month. St. Brigid School is a culturally
diverse school with over 40 different nationalities
represented. To celebrate our rich culture, each morning
during announcements, students are invited to share with
the entire school population, prayers and readings in their
native languages. Students may recite the Lord‟s Prayer,
the Hail Mary or other prayers in their native language.
Dates to Remember:
Mar. 1 ShareLife Dance-a-Thon
Mar. 2 Reconciliation @ St. Jerome Church – 12:00
Mar. 5 Cinderella Frog Prince Presentation
MBC Diversity Conference @ Blessed
Trinity
Mar. 6 Lunch Moms
Peel Police Presentations – 9:00 to 11:55
World Read Aloud Day – 1:00 to 2:00
Mar. 7 Math Mania @ Our Lady of Peace
Mar. 8 Silvercreek – Mrs. Hill
Mar. 11 March Break begins
Mar. 12 Lenten Reconciliation – 7:30 @ St. Jerome
Mar. 17 St. Patrick‟s Day
Mar. 18 Classes resume
Gr. 8 retreat @ Mount Alverno
Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm.
Mar. 19 Mr. Sub Day
Rosary Apostolate @ St. Brigid
Mar. 20 Lunch Moms
Mar. 21 Brass Rubbings – Gr. 4 and 5
Mar. 22 Pizza Day
Mar. 24 Palm Sunday
Mar. 27 Lunch Moms
Mar. 28 Holy Thursday
Mar. 29 Good Friday
Mar. 31 Easter Sunday
Apr. 1 Easter Monday
Apr. 3 HPV & Hep. B. Vaccines
Lunch Moms
Apr. 5 Easter Mass
Apr. 10 Lunch Moms
Apr. 16 Family Photo Day
Apr. 17 Lunch Moms
Apr. 22 Peel Police Presentations
Apr. 23 Chess Competition @ St. Gregory
Apr. 24 Lunch Moms
Apr. 26 Pizza Day
Apr. 28 First Communion @ St. Jerome – 12:00
Apr. 30 Mr. Sub Day
Family Skate Night
Kindergarten‟s Make a Snowman
Another Snowman
Raptor‟s Game
Board Champtions
Family Skate Night
Raptors Game
Going Skiing
Snow Angel