ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
Love
Learn
Light”
PRAYER FOR THANKSGIVING
L.Papaloni…........Superintendent
905-890-1221
A. DaSilva…. ………..…Trustee
416 -709 -5679
V. Pugliese ……………Principal
C. Bianchi ……….........Secretary
L. Clark ... School Council Chair
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
God our creator,
Your gifts to us are countless
and your goodness without limit.
As we come in thanksgiving,
teach us to use wisely the riches of land
and sea.
Grant us hearts that know the needs of
others,
that we may give as freely as we have
received from you.
October paints a land so green,
with yellow, orange and red.
We take this opportunity to
give our thanks for family, home and
bread.
Help us to see, in the marvelous
succession of seasons
and in the growth and ripening of our
crops,
Your splendor.
Amen.
Thanksgiving Day and P.A. Day
Please note that Monday October 14th is Thanksgiving Day. As such, there will be
no school for students and teachers on that day. Also, please note that Friday
October 11th is a P.A. Day and there will be no school on that day.
Principal’s Message
It is hard to believe that we are already into the
second month of school. Our students have made
wonderful adjustments to their new classes and
seem to be thriving in their school work. I would
specifically like to acknowledge the students for their
wonderful behaviour during our first month of school.
I would like to thank all those parents who were able to take
time out of their busy schedules and come out to the school
for our annual Curriculum Night/Open House. It was nice to
see so many families in attendance. I believe this sends an
important message to all children about how much you, as
parents, value school. Here at St. Brigid School, we are
always trying to find ways of further strengthening the
important relationship between the home and the school.
Open communication and dialogue are critical factors.
With Thanksgiving weekend just around the corner, it is
appropriate that we take time to reflect and give thanks for
the many gifts that God has placed in our lives. Let us not
forget to appreciate:
 the many staff, students and parents involved in
ensuring the school year started successfully;
 our volunteers, staff coaches/leaders and all other
persons who give unselfishly of their time to our
children and are sometimes taken for granted;
 our families and friends without whom there would
be no true celebration;
 Father Jan, our spiritual leader at St. Brigid.
Let us also remember to be thankful for all the little things in
our lives. Often large issues consume us and the little
pleasures and treasures are forgotten. It is in the little things
that God’s graces are often revealed. On behalf of the staff
of St. Brigid School, we hope that each and every member of
our school community has a truly wonderful Thanksgiving.
V. Pugliese
Thanksgiving Food Drive
As is the tradition here at St. Brigid, we
continually strive to bring the Gospel Values to
life by supporting our community charities. Thanksgiving is
a very special time of the year when we, as a school
community collect non-perishable food items to help those
in our community who are in need. We want to thank all the
students and their families for their unbelievable generosity
towards this cause. Collected food items will be delivered to
the St. Louise Outreach Centre in time for the Thanksgiving
long weekend. It is important for all of us to be grateful for
all we have and to show this by aiding those less fortunate.
Many families will benefit from your generosity. Again, we
thank you.
We also want to thank the school Diversity Team, who have
organized and promoted this important event in order to feed
the hungry.
Virtue of the Month
Empathy
During the month of October, we will be
focusing on empathy. God has given us
the ability to form connections with each
other—to live together. Empathy helps
us to connect and live together in safe,
caring, inclusive communities.
We
understand empathy to mean the ability
to identify with and feel other people’s
concern. We believe that in a faith
community we are nothing without
relationships. Relationships that grow in
a spirit of communion– an understanding
that we share an identity based on being
created in the image and likeness of God
and being imbued with one Spirit. An
empathetic person believes that we all
share one Spirit; that we are many parts
of one body because we are all created
in the image and likeness of God.
An empathetic person:
 Listens attentively
 Watches people’s body language
 Notices and responds when
someone is upset
 Can name her/his feelings
 Can see a situation from another
person’s point of view
 Knows that different people may
feel differently about the same
thing
Terry Fox Run
A big thank you to parents, students and staff for your active
involvement in making our Terry Fox fundraising effort on
Friday, September 27th such a great success! We are thrilled
with the response of our community to such a worthwhile
event. It was truly an inspirational day for all as we joined
together as a school community to support this very worthy
cause.
Catholic School Council News
Thank you to all the members of the 2012-2013 Catholic
School Council. Your hard work and dedication to St.
Brigid School was truly appreciated by all the staff and
students. Our next School Council meeting will be on
Monday October 21st, at 7:00 p.m. We encourage parents to
attend our School Council meetings and become actively
involved in the school community. Your input is greatly
welcomed and appreciated. We want to thank and
congratulate the following parents and staff that make up the
new Catholic School Council:
Chairperson:
Past Chairperson:
Treasurer:
Secretary:
Teaching Rep:
Non-teaching Rep:
L. Clark
C. Dye
B. D’Costa
S. Davis - Parsons
K. Duliunas
K. Italiano
Chocolate Bar Fundraiser
This year, we will be selling World Finest
Chocolates as our major fundraiser for the year. All
chocolate items are nut free. Under the direction of
our Catholic School Council, our school fundraiser began
September 26th, with a very enthusiastic Kick-off Assembly.
Students have been busily selling their chocolates to their
family and friends. We will continue with our fundraiser
until Wednesday October 16th.
Please ensure all
money/chocolates are returned to the school by that date.
Many thanks to our Fundraising Committee, for all their
hard work in organizing this event. We also want to thank
our students and their parents for their work, and the many
volunteers who have given up their time in support of this
fundraiser. The money raised will be used to enhance St.
Brigid School.
Swiss Chalet Customer Appreciation/Rebate Program
Once again this year, Swiss Chalet is extending St. Brigid
School a rebate offer. Each time you get a lunch or dinner
receipt, from the Swiss Chalet located at 6970 Financial
Drive, please save it and have your child bring the receipt
into the school office and place it in our Swiss Chalet box.
At the end of each month we will tally up the before tax total
on food purchases, bring the receipts to the Financial Drive
Swiss Chalet location and they will give us a cheque for
10% of our school’s purchases before tax. This rebate
applies to both dine-in and take-out orders. This is a winwin! All you have to do is remember to send in your
receipt! The money we raise will be used to help support
our school goals and needs.
Pizza Days
The Catholic School Council Pizza Committee will be
offering pizza one Friday a month for this school year from
Moga’s Pizza. The following will be pizza days for 2013:
 Friday October 25th
 Friday November 22nd
 Friday December 13th
Again, we will be offering Chocolate Milk and a snack with
the pizza.
A few reminders:
 Please remember to put names on pizza order form
 Please provide exact change as we will not be
providing change
 Please check your math to ensure the correct amount
of money is given for the order
 Please fill out one pizza form for each child you
have, please do not fill out one form for 2 or 3
children as we do not know who gets what
 In the event that your pizza order form is lost, you can
get another one from Mrs. Bianchi as she has extra
copies
Halloween
We will be celebrating Halloween at school
with our students. Our celebration will take
place on Thursday October 31st, for students
from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Students may
bring a costume to wear or display on Halloween.
We ask for your support in ensuring that costumes either
worn or brought to school are appropriate. For safety
reasons, masks are not to be brought or worn at school.
Also, please do not send replica weapons to school. The
length of some costumes can also be an issue. If they are too
long they may cause your child to trip on the stairs. We ask
that students refrain from wearing costumes that are
frightening or inappropriate in a school setting. Younger
children frighten easily and we want this day to be a happy
day for them. All students must check with their
classroom teacher for appropriateness of their
costume.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site through
the School Board’s website
at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/cec
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL
HERITAGE:
Why did the United Legislature of Canada East and
Canada West keep improving separate school legislation?
It responded to Catholic parents, trustees, bishops and
priests, editors of the four Catholic newspapers, members of
the business and professional world, all of whom argued for
legal and financial rights of separate school.
Was there opposition to separate schools before
Confederation?
Yes, as now, there were advocates of one school system.
Protestant spokespersons believed in the adequacy of the
common (now public) school’s basic non-denominational
Christianity, which constituted an important element of the
common school’s religion lessons and their readers. They
held that beliefs specific to certain religions should be taught
in the churches and homes.
From: An Historical Understanding of Key Issues Related to
Catholic Education, March 2009.
Sacramental Preparation
Please be aware that sacraments are parish, not
school events. Preparation may be initiated by the
school through the Religious Education program. However,
the immediate preparation is the responsibility of the parents
and the Parish. Registration for all Sacraments takes place at
St. Jerome Church.
Parents of children who are in grades 2 or 8 and wish to have
their child receive either the sacrament of Holy Eucharist for
the first time or the sacrament of Confirmation are reminded
that students must be registered at St. Jerome Church by
Sunday November 24th. Students may pick up a registration
form at any regularly scheduled weekend mass. Please note
that parents must attend an information session held at
the church. The First Communion parent information
meeting will take place on Tuesday October 29. Please note
that the information meeting for parents of students who
wish to receive the sacrament of Confirmation which was
originally scheduled for Wednesday October 30th has been
changed to Tuesday November 5th at 7:30.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate
to call the church at 905-455-4260.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 & PRESS 1
School Masses
Father Jan will celebrate our School Opening/Thanksgiving
Mass on Wednesday October 16th at 9:30 a.m. As with all
special events at school, parents are welcome to attend. The
dates for our school masses this year have been established.
Please note the following dates on your calendar:
Opening/Thanksgiving Mass
Advent Mass (at St. Jerome Church)
Easter Mass
End of Year Mass (at St. Jerome Church)
October 16
December 11
May 8
June 20
As always, your attendance at these masses is welcomed and
appreciated.
Catholic Education
When you choose to send your child to a Dufferin-Peel
school, we provide a holistic Catholic education. At. St.
Brigid we do this through:
 Teaching excellent Religious & Family Life education
in each grade,
 living our faith daily through prayer, celebration and
liturgy,
 building a safe, caring and inclusive community
 active involvement in charity and initiatives of social
justice from a Catholic context,
 participating in charity and social justice initiatives from
a Catholic context
 imbedding all that we do with Catholic values and
content,
 working with the St. Jerome’ Parish team, Father Jan
and parents to prepare students for the sacraments
We consider our Pastor, Father Jan to be integral member of
our school community.
Operation Christmas Child
In past years, the staff and students of St. Brigid have
participated in Operation Christmas Child. Once again, as
the Christmas season slowly approaches, we are getting into
the spirit of giving. Operation Christmas Child is a fun and
simple hands-on project of Samaritan’s Purse that brings joy
and hope to children in desperate situations worldwide
through gift-filled shoeboxes.
We hope that many
underprivileged children will have a gift to open and a smile
on their face because we are once again choosing to share
God’s love. Classes will determine whether their gift will be
for a boy or a girl, the child’s age category and students can
bring in small items (school supplies, hygiene items, small
toys) to fill a shoebox. The project will need to be completed
by mid-November in order for the gifts to be delivered in
time for Christmas to these needy children in orphanages in
war-torn countries in over 130 countries worldwide. Your
support in Operation Christmas Child will be greatly
appreciated, making an eternal impact in the lives of these
children. Thank You!!
MEDICATION AT SCHOOL:
Please be advised that for reasons of safety, no
child should bring any form of medication to
school without prior approval from the office. The
school will store and distribute necessary medication,
if a Request Form (available in the office) has been
filled out and signed by the parents/guardians; and when
authorized by a physician; and when medication must be
provided during school hours.
Intermediate’s Trip to Quebec City
The intermediate trip to Quebec City is scheduled for May
12th to 15th, 2014. Students will be exploring many of the
sites of Quebec City including a visit to the Plains of
Abraham, Montmorency Falls and a visit to Ste. Anne de
Beaupre. There will be a parent information meeting on
Thursday October 10th at 7:00 pm., where a
representative from Brightspark Tours and school
staff will be available to answer any questions that
you may have.
Please note, all students who require Epi-pens (except
those in kindergarten) are required to wear them during
the school day. Please check with your local pharmacist for
locations to purchase pouches for Epi-pens.
Nut Allergies
St. Brigid Catholic Elementary School is an allergen aware
school. We have a number of children in our school who
have severe life threatening allergic reactions to nuts,
peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils and any peanut byproducts. For some children, even the smell of nuts can
bring on a severe attack. We need your cooperation! We do
not want to put any child at risk, therefore ask that NUTS,
NUT BUTTER, NUT OILS AND ANY NUT BYPRODUCT NOT BE BROUGHT INTO THE SCHOOL.
Please do not send any lunches or snacks that contain
nuts/peanuts or nut by-products.
Scholastic Book Fair
Get ready, get set, Read!!! This year’s Book Fair will take
place in the St. Brigid School Library from Tuesday
November 5th, 2013 to Thursday November 7th, 2013. Our
Special Family Event Evening will be held on ParentTeacher Interview Night, Thursday November 7 th, from
3:30-5:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m. What a great way to start
off the new school year and get your Christmas shopping
done early. Last year the money raised from the fair allowed
us to purchase new books for the library and the children
were super excited. Your support and enthusiasm for this
school fundraiser in the past has been wonderful and we
hope you can once again join us and participate in the
Scholastic Book Fair and spread the news that “Every
Reader is a Star!”
Picture Retake Day
Pictures retakes will take place on Thursday,
November 7th. If your child was not at school on
Picture Day, they will have their individual pictures taken on
November 7th. Also, if you were not satisfied with the
pictures taken on Picture Day, you may have your child’s
pictures retaken.
Twitter
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is now on
Twitter! For the latest board news and information, follow
us @DPCDSBSchools.
Bullying Prevention Corner
Bullying is Not Acceptable
In October we will be focusing on the
definition of bullying. The key message is
“bullying is not acceptable”. Through various
activities the students will understand the vast
array of behaviours that can be bullying
(physical, verbal, social) and explore the
emotional impact of those behaviours on
others. Students develop the ability to
understand and apply the definition of bullying
through constant exposure, repeated use and
consistency. Using the same definition of
bullying throughout the school and at home
allows both students and adults to more
effectively prevent and deal with bullying
situations.


Bullying is: Being mean to others,
on purpose, to hurt them or their
feelings.
Bullying Behaviour: is intended to
hurt, is repeated and involves
unequal power and control.
Tips for Parents:
 review the definition of bullying with
your child
 talk with younger children about
inside and outside hurts
 talk with older children about
intimidation, gossip, rumours and
cyber bullying
 encourage children to share their
feelings about bullying behaviours
that they have experienced, witnessed
or engaged in.
ATTENTION PARENTS OF GR.8 STUDENTS!
Parents of current Grade 8 students are invited to the St.
Augustine Grade 9 Information Night, on Tuesday
November 12th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. This evening is
planned for those students interested in attending Grade 9 in
the fall of 2014.
Parents of current grade 8 students will have the opportunity
to visit and tour St. Augustine, and learn about their
programs. In the forum, course offerings, academic levels,
athletics, academic support, daily schedule, school bussing
and summer camp will be discussed.
Late Arrivals
There have been a number of children coming into
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.
Your child is missing valuable learning time. Students who
are late must sign in at the office prior to going to class.
Please note that parents are not allowed to escort their child
to class. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Progress Report Interviews
Student Progress reports will be sent home on Tuesday
November 5th. Parents are reminded that these are not
Report Cards. Interviews will take place on the evening of
Thursday November 7th. Please note that it is not necessary
that all students participate in Progress Report interviews,
however parents are welcome to request an interview. It is
only through communication and working together that we
will achieve the ultimate success of your child. First term
report cards will be sent home on February 4th and first term
interviews will take place on February 6th and 7th. It is
expected that all students will be participating in the
interview process at that point.
EQAO Results
Last spring, the EQAO reading, writing and mathematics
assessment was conducted in grade 3 and 6 classes across
the province. This assessment is considered a “snapshot” of
the children’s performance based on their respective grade
level expectation.
At St. Brigid we are proud of the achievement of our
students and use the data collected from the EQAO
assessment, along with other data collected, to improve
instruction and focus learning.
Grade 3
Movie Night
Join us on Thursday October 24th for our first Movie Night.
We will be showing Despicable Me 2, beginning at 7:00 pm.
Doors will open at 6:30. Admission is free. Popcorn, chips
and water will be available for purchase. So bring a blanket,
pillow, and wear your pajamas. Come with your child and
enjoy the movie!
Girls Soccer
Congratulations to our girls’ soccer team who
played three excellent games in our family
tournament on Monday September 23rd.
The girls
represented our school with great sportsmanship and skill.
Congratulations to our team members: Cassidy, Janai, Jaden,
Tiziana, Sidney, Noriana, Samantha, Mikayla, Michelle,
Deandra, Serejah, Elizabeth, Skylar and Taylor. Thank you
to our coaches, Mrs. MacFarlane and Ms. Mastrangelo for
their dedication and commitment to the team.
Boys Soccer
On Wednesday September 25th, 2012, the St Brigid boys’
soccer team participated in the Mississauga Brampton
Central Family of Schools Soccer Tournament. They played
hard and displayed excellent skill and teamwork. Their
coaches, Ms. Risavy was extremely proud of them. The
honourable members are: Andrew, Desmond, Peter,
Sebastian, Tobi, Meleesh, Jonah, Karol, Ethan, Uyi, Ziggy,
Jacob, Matthew, Michael, Leo, and Kevin. Congratulations
boys!!!
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
St. Brigid
70
93
70
Grade 6
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
(All Students)
Levels 3 & 4
DPCDSB
71
80
68
Province
68
77
67
(All Students)
Levels 3 & 4
St. Brigid
86
91
51
DPCDSB
79
80
59
Province
77
76
57
Volunteers
Volunteers play an important part in the life of any school
community. At the school level, they help to enhance the
learning opportunities available to students. They assist
students with reading, writing, academic drills and
reinforcement, educational games and in other activities that
help to improve specific areas of need. Please contact the
school if you are interested in volunteering.
We always appreciate your assistance, support and the
sharing of your many gifts and talents with our staff and
students. Please consider volunteering at your child’s school.
Anyone working in our school as a new employee or
volunteer must have a criminal reference check completed
by Peel Police. Please pick up the appropriate forms from
the school office.
Benefits of Being Bilingual
Speaking two languages gives you access to two cultures
and makes you more tolerant and open to others. By being
able to communicate in two languages, you are free to learn
about diverse cultures, traditions and social behaviors as
well as be a part of them. People who speak two languages
have two windows open to the world to enrich their life.
Being bilingual makes it is easier to travel, find a job and
belong to this new global world inside and outside of
Canada.
Studies have shown that bilingual people have better task
switching capacities because of their acquired ability to
inhibit one language while using another. In other words,
speaking two languages forces your brain to recognize two
different languages systems. So, basically, you become
smarter.
Did you know that people who speak more than one
language tend to make fewer errors in their driving? A side
benefit, but a benefit nonetheless!
Read more: http://www.voxxi.com/benefits-being-bilingualsecond-language/#ixzz2giBxtM4E
the Kiss ‘N’ Ride create a very dangerous situation and also
impede the flow of traffic.
Dates to Remember:
Oct. 2
Oct. 3
Oct. 8
Oct. 9
Oct. 10
Oct. 11
Oct. 14
Oct. 15
Oct. 16
Oct. 17
Oct. 18
You
may
go
to
www.stopr.ca for daily
Oct. 21
Oct. 22
bus cancellations or delays.
End of the Day Parking
Dismissal time is a very busy time of day and the safety of
our students must be our number one priority. As such,
please be aware that at the end of the school day pylons are
placed at the entrance of the school driveway. This is done
to prevent vehicles from driving on school grounds while
students are exiting the school grounds. The gates at the
parking lot are also closed at this time, and will not be
opened until our students and busses have left school
grounds. If you are parked in the parking lot, we ask that
you respect our policy and wait until our gates are opened by
a staff supervisor. Also, please be aware that our drive way
is one way, with the entrance at the east end of the school.
Please do not enter the school grounds through the exit drive
at the west end. We thank you for your
cooperation.
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
Oct. 23
Oct. 24
Oct. 25
Oct. 29
Oct. 30
Oct. 31
Nov. 5
Nov. 6
Nov. 7
Nov. 12
Nov. 13
Nov. 18
Nov. 19
Nov. 20
Nov. 22
Nov. 24
Nov. 27
Lunch Moms
Thanksgiving Food Drive Ends
Picture Day
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
Rosary Apostolate @ St. Brigid
Intermediate trip to Quebec Parent Meeting –
7:00 pm.
Professional Activity Day
Thanksgiving
St. Roch Regional Arts Program presentation
@ St. Brigid
Last Day of Fundraiser
Opening/Thanksgiving Mass – 9:30 am.
Lunch Moms
Junior Boys Volleyball Tournament @ St.
Brigid
Junior Girls Volleyball Tournament @ St.
Brigid
Catholic School Council Meeting – 7:00 pm.
Mr. Sub Lunch
Virtue Assembly 10:00 am.
Lunch Moms
Movie Night @ St. Brigid – 7:00 pm.
Pizza Day
First Communion Meeting for Parents – 7:30
pm. @ St. Jerome Church
Cross Country Meet
Lunch Moms
Halloween
Intermediate Halloween Dance – pm.
Progress Reports Sent Home
Mr. Sub Lunch
Book Fair
Confirmation Meeting for Parents – 7:30 @
St. Jerome Church
Book Fair
St. Augustine S.S. visit Gr. 8’s
Lunch Moms
Picture Retake Day
Book Fair
Rosary Apostolate’s @ St. Brigid
Interview Evening
St. Augustine Information Night for Gr. 8
Parents
Lunch Moms
Catholic School Council Meeting – 7:00 pm.
Mr. Sub Lunch
Lunch Moms
Pizza Lunch
Last Day to Register @ St. Jerome for
Sacraments of Confirmation and First
Communion
Lunch Moms