ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
Love
Learn
Light”
A Lenten Prayer
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
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 10th to 14th. School resumes
again on Monday, March 17th. The last day of classes before the Break is Thursday.
March 6th. Please note that Friday, March 7th is a P.A. Day with no school for
students.
Message from the Principal
This month we begin the liturgical season of Lent.
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 in 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.
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL
HERITAGE:
On Friday February 14th – Valentine’s Day, staff, students, and
parents 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 $ 2,159.70. When
you add this total with the ShareLife money that was raised for
the Philippines, St. Brigid students raised $3,545.70. This
money will be presented to Father Jan at our Easter Mass on
Thursday May 8th. We would also like to thank our Catholic
School Council for their generous donation. Our ShareLife
Dance-a-Thon again showed the true spirit of St. Brigid School!
Sacraments
Please remember in your prayers our Grade 2 students who
celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday, March
1st, for the first time. First Holy Communion will
take place on Sunday, May 11th at 12:00 noon at St.
Jerome Church.
Students in grade 8 will be receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation on Friday June 13th, at 7:00 p.m. If you have any
questions regarding your child’s sacraments, please contact the
church office at (905) 455-4260.
Reconciliation
Please note that on Tuesday April 8th 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.
Ash Wednesday
The season of Lent begins on March 5th, with Ash
Wednesday. On that day, a liturgy for the
students and staff will take place at the school. Ashes will be
distributed to students during the liturgy. Students will be asked
to make their own Lenten promises prior to our liturgy. These
promises should be their focus for the forty days of Lent and
will be a reminder that Lent is a time to change the things in our
lives which separate us from Jesus. The liturgy will take place
at 9:30 a.m. in our gym. As always parents, family and friends
are invited to join us.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 PRESS 1
How did separate school boards survive without corporation
tax revenues?
The separate school trustees controlled the boards’ budgets with
more pupils per classroom than in public schools, with much
lower wages, with bare-bones programs, with small
playgrounds, and with minimum expenditures for the erection
of new schools. The main contribution for the survival of
separate schools came from the religious teaching Orders. They
supplied school principals and teachers and worked for salaries
of $300 to $600 a year when public school teachers were
earning $3,000 and up. There is no question that Ontario’s
Catholics owe today’s separate schools to the religious Orders.
How was the corporation tax issue finally solved?
In 1962, the Ontario Separate School Trustees’ Association
presented Premier John Robarts a brief which outlined the
probable bankruptcy of some urban separate schools boards and
the inferior salaries, teacher qualification, school
accommodations, and programs compared with those of the
public schools. The government began providing to the
separate school boards grants which compensated for their lack
of corporate assessments. Separate school boards were able to
erect new schools and additions with gymnasiums, library,
kindergarten rooms, and special education facilities.
From: An Historical Understanding of Key Issues Related to
Catholic Education, March 2009
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/ce
c
St. Brigid Catholic School Council News
Our next Catholic School Council meeting has been scheduled
for Monday March 24th 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.
Family Skate Night
St. Brigid’s Family Skate Night will take place on Wednesday
April 2nd, between 6:30 and 8:30. Students and parents are all
welcome to join St. Brigid staff members at South Fletcher
Arena, rink 2. The Family Skate Night is sponsored by our St.
Brigid Catholic School Council. For safety reasons, students
should wear helmets and gloves while one the ice. Please note
that students should be accompanied by an adult.
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!
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. 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.
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: _________________________
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: _________________________
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 26th to June 5th. 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.
_________________________
(please print neatly)
No, I do not wish to receive paper
copies of newsletters and other notices
from the school.
The World within St. Brigid School
In February we celebrated Black History Month. In March we
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.
Science Olympics
Congratulations to our junior Science Olympics teams who
participated in the Mississauga Brampton Central Family of
Schools Science Olympics on February 21st. The students
worked as a team and displayed their skill in the various
branches of science. Thank you to their coaches, Mrs. Hill and
Mrs. Murray.
World Read Aloud Day
Everyone loves a good book and the perfect way to spend
World Read Aloud Day on March 5th, 2014 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 5th 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.
The Big Crunch
The Great Big Crunch is a special day of good food education,
ending with a massive, synchronized bite into a crunchy apple
to celebrate. It is a day to promote, celebrate and enjoy healthy
snacking. It is also a great way to get students excited about
Nutrition Month by taking part in a cross-Canadian crunch. We
at St. Brigid will be participating in the Great Big Crunch Day
on Wednesday March 5. Students will be receiving an apple to
promote healthy snack choices and we will all take a “crunch”
together.
Are You Moving?
We are in the process of planning classes and
staffing for the 2014/2015 school year. If you
are planning to move anytime between now and
September 2014, please inform the school at your earliest
possible convenience.
Class List Formation for 2014 - 2015
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 30th, 2014. 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, yearto-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.
ATTENTION DOWNHILL SKIERS!!
Due to the cancellation of busses in Dufferin County on
February 21st, our ski day also needed to be cancelled. As such
we will be making up that day on Tuesday
March 18th.
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.
Go to www.stopr.ca for
daily bus cancellations or
delays.
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. Parents should remain in their vehicles while in the
Kiss ‘N’ Ride lane.
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.
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.
IMMUNIZE ON TIME.
REPORT EVERY TIME.
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
Peel Public Health - Immunization
Peel Public Health will be reviewing immunization records of
all students at our school. 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.
Twitter
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and
information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
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.
OCSTA Special Award
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is pleased to
announce that Director of Education, John B. Kostoff, is this
year’s recipient of the 2014 OCSTA Special Award. This award
is presented annually by the Ontario Catholic Schools Trustees
Association (OCSTA) to an individual, other than a trustee,
who has made a significant contribution to the Catholic
education community in Ontario. The official presentation will
take place at the OCSTA Annual General Meeting on April 25,
2014. Past recipients of the OCSTA Special Award include
Cardinal Thomas Collins, the Honourable William G. Davis,
Msgr. Dennis Murphy and James Mulligan.
For over 37 years, Mr. Kostoff has consistently demonstrated
outstanding leadership as a teacher, administrator, ambassador
and advocate for Catholic education. He has led the DufferinPeel Catholic District School Board, through numerous high
profile challenges. He has intuitively insisted upon, and has
incorporated Catholic faith values in seeking and developing
solutions to issues. Mr. Kostoff has continually sought to
improve and promote Catholic education, both within DufferinPeel and throughout the province
English and French
Did you know that nearly 30% of all English words
have a French origin! Over the years, the English
language has borrowed a great number of French
words and expressions. The following is a sample of French
words and expressions which are commonly used in English:
 adieu "until God" Used like "farewell": when you don't
expect to see the person again until God (when you die and
go to Heaven)
 apéritif "cocktail" From Latin, "to open"
 au gratin "with gratings" Topped with cheese
 carte blanche "blank card" Free hand, ability to do
whatever you want/need
 c'est la vie "that's life" Same meaning and usage in both
languages
 faux pas "false step, trip" Something that should not be
done, a foolish mistake
 mardi gras "fat Tuesday" Celebration before Lent
 RSVP "respond please" This abbreviation stands for
Répondez, s'il vous plaît.
Taken from about.com
St. Brigid at the Raptors Game
We would like to thank the parents and students who braved the
bitter cold on February 27th and joined some of our staff at the
Air Canada Centre, to watch the Toronto Raptors play the
Washington Wizards. A wonderful time was had by all. The
atmosphere at the ACC was electric and we were treated to an
outstanding game that went into triple overtime.
Staffing Updates:
We would like to welcome back Mrs. Di Vito to St. Brigid
School. We would also like to thank Ms. Risavy who replaced
Mrs. Di Vito while she was away on her maternity leave, and
wish her the greatest success in her teaching career. Her
enthusiasm for teaching and her dedication towards her
students.
Dates to Remember:
Mar. 1 First Reconciliation – 12:00 @ St. Jerome
Church
Mar. 3 RAID Program – Ms. Di Vito
Mar. 4 Mr. Sub Lunch
Mar. 5 Ash Wednesday
World Read Aloud Day
Big Crunch
Lunch Moms
Mar. 6 Rosary Apostolate @ St. Brigid
Mar. 7 P.A. Day
Mar. 10 March Break Begins
Mar. 17 First Day Back at School after March Break
St. Patrick’s Day
Mar. 18 Mr. Sub Lunch
Skiing
Mar. 19 Diversity Conference
Lunch Moms
Mar. 21 Mary of Nazareth Movie for Intermediates
Mar. 24 Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm
Mar. 25 Golf Lessons - Intermediates
Mar. 26 Lunch Moms
Mar. 27 Math Mania
Mar. 28 Pizza Day
Earth Hour – Lights Out @ St. Brigid
Apr. 1 Mr. Sub Lunch
Apr. 2 Family Skate Night 6:30 @ South Fletcher
Arena
Lunch Moms
Apr. 3 Rosary Apostolate @ St. Brigid
Apr. 7 Silvercreek – Serrentino
Apr. 8 Lenten Reconciliation – 7:30 @ St. Jerome
Apr. 9 Lunch Moms
Apr. 20 Palm Sunday
Apr. 14 Immunizations – Gr. 7 & 8
Apr. 15 Mr. Sub Lunch
Apr. 16 Lunch Moms
Apr. 17 Stations of the Cross
Apr. 18 Good Friday
Apr. 20 Easter Sunday
Apr. 21 Easter Monday
Apr. 22 Earth Day Assembly
Apr. 23 Lunch Moms
Earth Day Movie
Apr. 25 Pizza Day
Chess Tournament @ St. Gertrude
Apr. 28 Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm.
Apr. 29 Mr. Sub Lunch
Apr. 30 Lunch Moms
Family/Spring Photos