ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
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
Love
Learn
Light”
May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and
pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it
comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any
path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the
shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people
and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there
to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you,
for the year ahead.
Amen.
Professional Activity Day
Please note that Monday January 20th, 2014 is a Professional Activity Day. There
will be no school for the students on that day. The day is designated for report card
writing.
Message from the Principal
On behalf of the entire St. Brigid staff I bring
greetings to parents/guardians and students and a
sincere welcome back to all from what I hope was
a restful and enjoyable Christmas holiday with family and
friends. We wish you and your family a very happy and
prosperous New Year in 2014.
With the coming of another new year, we tend to forget that
Christmas does not end on December 25th. Once all the presents
have been opened and the dinner has been eaten, Christmas is
often quickly put behind us. The tree quickly taken down,
decorations are packed away and we begin to prepare for New
Year’s Eve celebrations. Christmas Day is just the beginning
of the Christmas season, that continues through to the Baptism
of our Lord, which will be celebrated on January 13th.
Christmas is a commemoration of God’s coming into the world.
He came for all of us – believers and non-believers alike. His
birth should bring us hope and triumph which will dispel the
sadness from our lives. As such, Christmas is a celebration that
all Catholics need to embrace for more than just a day, but
rather for a whole season.
Jesus is born but have we found Him yet? He has come into the
world and is very much in our midst but unfortunately we often
refuse to recognize Him, therefore fail to welcome Him. As we
make our New Year’s resolutions, let us promise to take the
time to look around us, to recognize that Jesus, who was born
into the world over two thousand years ago, is among us in
every person and in every trial and tribulation we encounter in
our lives. Let us take a moment to recognize Him in those who
do not have joy and peace in their lives. And let us continue to
spread the spirit that filled us during the Advent season
throughout the entire year. If we are unable to recognize Jesus,
then His birth into this world will be just another day to
celebrate, eat, drink and make merry. It will never
become the day when hope shall sing of triumph
and sadness flees away.
V. Pugliese
Report Cards for Term 1
On Tuesday February 4th Report Cards will be sent home for all
students from Grades 1 to 8.
Student/Parent/Teacher
Conferences will take place on the evening of February 6 th
Specific time request forms will be sent home later in the
month. Parents will be notified with the report card of their
conference time.
Graduation Photos
Life Touch photographers will be at St. Brigid on Thursday
January 23rd to take graduation photos for our Grade 8
students. If you have a child in grade 8, please ensure that
he/she is at school on the 23rd. A letter will be sent
out prior to this date with more information.
Virtue of the Month
Self-Control
During the month of January, we
celebrate the virtue of self-control.
God has given us the ability to
choose. We are able to control how
we react to what happens around us.
We’ve all “lost it” at one time or
another. We are never proud of
those moments. As soon as they
happen we make a promise that they
will not happen again. Through
prayer and concentration, we can
get better at controlling our
reactions. We can get better at
showing self-control.
Self-control helps us to resist the
temptation to do something that we
will regret. Self-control helps us to
resist the temptation to do
something that will harm ourselves
or others. Self-control is one of the
marks of a spiritually mature
person. When we all use selfcontrol, we can be sure that our
school will be a safe, caring and
inclusive place to live and to learn.
A person with self-control…
 is patient
 knows how to wait his/her turn
 can calm him/herself down and
think before reacting to
situations
 knows how to avoid physical
aggression (hitting, kicking,
pushing, fighting, etc.)
 can think things through and
do what is best for everyone
Winter Clothing
With winter now upon us, parents and students are
reminded that students need to be dressed
appropriately for the winter weather. We want our
students to feel comfortable outdoors and not get
chilled because of inappropriate winter dress. Students
should be wearing winter coats, boots, hats, gloves and
scarves. Younger students are also encouraged to wear
snow pants. Please listen to weather reports and
ensure that children are dressed appropriately for
the weather.
Please ensure that your child has an extra change of
clothing (socks and pants) stored in their back pack.
This will help prevent phone calls home when your
child comes to the office with wet clothing. Also,
please label your child’s winter garments, so that each student
can more easily locate his/her own clothing from the class coat
rack area. Labelled items can be returned more easily and
mixed up items sorted out more readily. If your child brings
home any clothing item by mistake, please return it to the
school so that this mix up may be corrected.
Except under unusual conditions, students will go outside
during recess and lunch hour. The outdoor break allows for
fresh air and exercise. Health officials indicate that the fresh
air is good for children...not harmful, as long as students are
dressed properly.
Indoor Footwear
Students are expected to wear shoes in the school building at all
times. Please note that in the event of an emergency evacuation,
students will not have the opportunity to put on shoes, boots,
clothing articles, etc. Please ensure that your child has an extra
pair of shoes at school, to keep their feet dry and warm during
wet and/or snowy weather. A change of clothing
stored in a child’s backpack, may also be a good
idea for younger students.
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.
Transportation
If school buses are cancelled in the morning, due to severe
weather conditions, they will not operate for the take home
run, even if weather conditions permit. In the past, children
have been dropped off at the school in the morning by wellmeaning parents and friends on a day when the buses have been
cancelled, without regard as to how the children would be
transported home. In the event of bus cancellations, please
refrain from picking up students at bus stops and delivering
them to school. There are no buses to return them home from
school and often no one is available to pick them up at school.
School Closures
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 stations:
FM Q 107
FM Z103.5
EZ ROCK FM 97.3
CHFI FM 98.1 CBC 99.1
CJBC (FR) AM 860
CFTR AM 680 FM 93.1
CHUM AM 1050
CFRB AM 1010 CJCL AM 590
CJCL AM 590
CITYPULSE
CTV
GLOBAL NEWS
CHIN FM 100.7 / AM 1540
CFNY FM 102.1/AM 640
VIRGIN RADIO FM 99.9
Updates and cancelations are also available on the board
website: www.dpcdsb.org/cec
ATTENTION DOWNHILL SKIERS!!
St. Brigid is pleased to provide grade 5 to 8 students with an
opportunity to participate in the Snow Education Program at
Blue Mountain. This program aims to provide students with the
opportunity to increase their physical fitness through the
exciting and fun sport of skiing. Skiing is set for the following
dates:
 Friday January 17th
 Friday January 31st
 Friday February 21st
School Yard Supervision
Yard Supervision begins at 8:35 a.m. For safety reasons, please
do not send your child to school until then, as there are no adults
available to supervise students. Our supervisors wear orange
vests when they are outside, so that they can be easily visible to
a child in need.
Go to www.stopr.ca for
daily bus cancellations or
delays.
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL
HERITAGE:
Once section 93(1) was enacted, why did Ontario’s separate
school supporters continue to suffer financial hardships?
The Separate School (Scott) Act of 1863 did not anticipate the
creation and/or growth of corporations and public utilities in
Ontario, or the creation of public high schools. These two
omissions caused over 100 years of financial hardships and
inequity for separate school supporters.
Why did Catholic parents and students have to pay tuition to
attend a Catholic high school after grade ten?
In 1871 the Ontario government passed an Act to Improve the
Common Schools and Grammar Schools of Ontario. This Act
abolished the common and grammar schools and created public
schools for grades one to ten and high school grades nine to
thirteen. The highest official with the Department of Education,
Edgerton Ryerson, commented that the 1871 Act did not affect
separate schools. The separate school boards operating
secondary school classes carried on, receiving funding from
grants and taxes. However, early in the twentieth century the
government passed legislation which forbade a separate school
board from offering education beyond grade ten, if its
boundaries fell partially or fully within the boundaries of a high
school district. Thus, all but one separate school board (in
Dublin) lost their ability to receive tax or government grand
financing beyond grade ten. Furthermore, if a separate school
board chose to continue operating grades nine and ten, it
received only elementary school grants for them.
How did Catholic high schools survive?
Catholic parents and students paid tuition after grade ten.
Parental groups raised money from draws, lotteries and school
events. Parish priest contributed money from their Sunday
collections. Many separate school boards, including DufferinPeel, opened intermediate-division (i.e. Grades seven-to ten)
schools. With the vital assistance of religious teaching Orders
(which taught in and administered grades eleven to thirteen for
little or nothing), the diocese continued to operate private
Catholic high schools and opened new ones. In fact, Philip
Peacock, the Archbishop of Toronto, decided in 1971 to open
one new Catholic high in the archdiocese every year until the
government approved tax and grant funding for grades eleven
to thirteen.
From: An Historical Understanding of Key Issues Related to
Catholic Education, March 2009
Family Day
Please note that Monday February 17th is Family Day.
There will be no classes for students that day as the
school will be closed. Family Day is a provincially
mandated holiday.
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2014-15
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2014-15 school
year, will take place at St. Brigid on the following days:
Monday, January 27, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.*
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 30, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Friday, January 31, 2014, from 9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and
from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
* Snow Date:
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
For more information about registration and the Full-Day
Kindergarten program, call St. Brigid School or visit
www.dpcdsb.org.
Kindergarten Entry Planning Information Session for
Parents of Children with Special Needs
On Wednesday, January 22, 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 special needs which affect their learning, such
as vision, hearing, physical, developmental or autism, who are
entering Kindergarten in September 2014. The meeting will be
held at the Catholic Education Centre (Room 301 - Third Floor)
from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. For more information about this
session, call 905-890-0708 ext. 24284.
For more information, parents/guardians should contact their
local Catholic school, visit the board website at
www.dpcdsb.org, or call the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board at 905-890-1221.
Twitter
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and
information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site
through the School
Board’s website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/ce
c
Feast of St. Brigid
The Feast of St. Brigid on Friday, February 1 st. At St. Brigid
School we will be celebrating this feast on Monday February
3rd, at 1:15 in the school gym. Please be sure to mark this date
on your calendar, so you may join us for this celebration.
The Feast of St. Brigid
Brigid was born in approximately the year
453 in Faughart Ireland. Her father was an
Irish chieftain and her mother a slave at his
court. Shortly after her birth, Brigid was
put into fosterage. Brigid grew into beauty
and her love for all of God's creatures knew
no bounds. When she grew older and was
of an age to be useful, Brigid returned to
her father's house, taking her mother's
place as house slave - minding the
livestock, cleaning, serving at meals, etc.
As a young lady, Brigid and her
companions devoted their lives to the
service of a Druid goddess. With her
Christian mother as a guiding influence,
Brigid converted to Christianity and
formed Ireland's first Christian religious
community of women. Legend tells that
upon her acceptance of her vows, fire
appeared above her head.
Brigid's generosity and wisdom became
legendary. Little girls came to be taught,
the sick came to her and asked her to care
for them and she often sold everything she
had and gave the money to the poor.
Brigid travelled all over Ireland building
convents schools and hospitals. By the end
of her life she had brought about 13,000
women to a new life, living in monasteries
and dedicating their lives to Christ. Her
monastery at Kildare became one of the
greatest centers of learning in Europe. She
continued her holy and charitable work
until her death in 526 AD, when she was
laid to rest in a jewelled casket at Kil Dara.
St. Brigid is the patron saint for babies;
blacksmiths; boatmen; children whose
parents are not married; dairymaids;
fugitives; mariners; midwives; milk maids;
sailors; travellers; creativity, scholars,
poets and Ireland. The feast of St. Brigid
is celebrated on February 1st.
Front Foyer Renovation
We are in the process of renovating our front foyer. We are
planning on placing a stone/glass mosaic of the Risen Christ on
the wall facing the front doors. As this is a major endeavour,
we will be asking for community/parent donations to help with
the costs of creating the mosaic. We are looking to raise
between 5,000 and 7,000 dollars. We will continue with this
fundraiser until the end of March 2014. Please note that all
money raised will be used for the mosaic. A Charitable
Donation receipt will be issued by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
School Board for donations of $ 25.00 and over.
Kiss ‘N’ Ride / Parking
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.
Extended French Information Meeting
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enrol their child in
a Grade 5 Extended French class for September, 2014 are
invited to attend an information meeting at:
School: St. Monica School
Address: 60 Sterritt Dr.
Brampton, L6Y 5B6
Date:
Wednesday January 15, 2014
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. Wednesday, February 12 th, 2014.
On Valentine’s Day, Friday February 14th, St. Brigid School
will be hosting a ShareLife Dance-a-Thon. Each class will be
in the gym for approximately half an hour, dancing and moving
to music. This year’s theme will be love, in honour of St.
Valentine. Students are asked to wear red, white or pink on that
day. Please encourage your children to participate in this
worthy event. As always, parents are more than welcome to
join with their children and participate in the Dance-a-Thon.
Mitten Tree and Toy Drive
The Diversity Team would like to say “Thank you”, “Grazie”,
“Dzięki”, “Maraming Salamat Po”, “Agradecidos” and “Merci”
to the St. Brigid Catholic School community for your
generosity and support during the Advent season. Our Mitten
Tree project and Toy Drive were a tremendous success!! Our
front foyer was overflowing with mittens, gloves, scarves, hat
and toys. Your generosity was greatly appreciated during the
Christmas season, and will ensure that many of the less
fortunate in our community will be warm during the winter
months. Thank you!
Philippines Relief
On behalf of the staff of St. Brigid School and our Catholic
Youth Leaders, we wish to thank everyone who participated in
our fundraiser to support the typhoon relief in the Philippines.
Through our Dance-a-Thon, we raised $1400, which will be
matched by the Canadian Government to help aid relief efforts.
Get your Newsletter Delivered Right
to Your Inbox
We’re going to do our bit to help the
environment right here at St. Brigid School!
We’d like to drastically reduce the amount of
paper we use in the form of monthly newsletters
and other notices.
We’re in the process of making it possible for
all of our families to be part of a direct email
notification system. Not only will you be able
to receive your monthly newsletters in a timely
fashion but you’ll be able to receive notification
of other important notices as well (e.g., public
health notices).
Once you sign up we’ll stop distributing hard
copies of newsletters and notices to your
child(ren). And as an added bonus, you’ll never
have to go hunting for a newsletter or
information again…it’ll be a few short mouse
clicks away!
Please complete the following information and
return it to your child’s teacher:
Family Name: _________________________
St. Brigid Choir Spread Christmas Cheer
On Friday December 13th, the St. Brigid School Choir spread
some Christmas cheer with the residents at Extendicare Nursing
Home in Brampton. They sang a variety of Christmas songs,
both traditional and contemporary, and were delighted to have
the residents clapping and singing along. The experience
proved to be a special one for the students as they had the
opportunity to meet the elderly of our community and bring the
gift of song to God's family.
Name(s) of Child(ren) and Teacher:
Yes, I wish to receive direct email
notification of newsletters and other
notices from the school.
Email address: _________________________
(please print neatly)
No, I wish to receive paper copies of
newsletters and other notices from the
school.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 PRESS 1
First Reconciliation
Please remember in your prayers our Grade 2
students who will be receiving the sacrament of
Reconciliation on Saturday, March 1st at 12:00 at St. Jerome
Church. Please ensure that your child is registered and that you
are attending mass on a regular basis. Students will be
receiving their First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 11 th at
12:00 noon at St. Jerome Church.
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!
Pizza Days
The Catholic School Council Pizza Committee will again be
offering pizza during the months of January, February and
March. Pizza will be available on the following dates:
Friday January 24th
Friday February 14th
Friday February 28th
Friday March 28th
Bullying Prevention Corner
Conflict is a part of our daily lives. It happens
to all of us. It is inevitable, and will occur
whether we like it or not. Conflict is a
disagreement where equal power is present.
Conflict changes to bullying when there is an
imbalance of power and there is intentional hurt
that is repeated. The key message in January is
“conflict is inevitable, bullying is not”.
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 to build
relationships.
Basketball at the Air Canada Centre
Staff, students, parents and friends are invited to
attend St. Brigid Night at the Air Canada Centre on
Thursday February 27th to watch the Toronto
Raptors play against the Washington Wizards. A school bus
with those interested in attending will leave the school at 5:30
pm. St. Brigid Intermediate Boys Basketball Team will again
be playing at the Air Canada Centre. This year’s tentative date
is Tuesday February 11th.
Dates to Remember:
Jan. 8 Lunch Moms
Jan. 9 Rosary Apostolates @ St. Brigid
Jan. 13 Silvercreek – Mrs. Hill
Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm.
Jan. 14 Mr. Sub Lunch
Jan. 15 Lunch Moms
Jan. 16 CCCSC Mtg. – 6:30 @ St. Julia
Jan. 17 Skiing
Jan. 20 P.A. Day
Jan. 21 Term 2 Begins
Catholic Youth Faith Ambassadors
Commissioning – 10:00 @ St. Francis Xavier
Church
Jan. 22 Lunch Moms
Jan. 23 Graduation Photos
Jan. 24 Pizza Day
Jan. 27 Kindergarten Registration – 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
RAID Program – Ms. Risavy
Jan. 28 Kindergarten Registration Snow Date – 7:00
to 9:00 pm.
Mr. Sub Lunch
Jan. 29 Kindergarten Registration – 9:00 to 3:00
Lunch Moms
Virtue Assembly – 1:15 pm.
Jan. 30 Kindergarten Registration – 9:00 to 3:00
Jan. 31 Kindergarten Registration – 9:00 to 3:00
Skiing
Feb. 1 Feast of St. Brigid
Feb. 3 RAID Program – Ms. Risavy
Feast of St. Brigid celebration – 1:15 pm.
Feb. 4 Report Cards Sent Home
Feb. 5 Lunch Moms
Feb. 6 Interview Evening
Feb. 10 RAID Program – Ms. Risavy
Feb. 12 Lunch Moms
Feb. 13 Jr. Boys Basketball Tournament @ St. Kevin
Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day
ShareLife Dance-a-Thon
Feb. 17 Family Day
Feb. 19 Lunch Moms
Feb. 21 Skiing
Junior Science Olympics
Feb. 24 RAID Program – Ms. Risavy
Feb. 26 Lunch Moms
Feb. 27 St. Brigid School at Raptors Game
Feb. 28 Pizza Day