ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“Live
February
2015
Newsletter
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”
When Every Night Is Winter
Lord, you split no sky when you came among us,
And you rose not from the sea.
A star was seen in the heavens,
But only by those who looked.
A choir of angels was heard,
But only by those who listened.
No thunder, no storm, no cataclysm announced you,
Just the cry of a lowly refugee,
Turning to no one, turning to everyone.
Saying, "Will you let me in?"
And so, when every night is winter,
And every town is Bethlehem,
And every inn seems filled,
And on every ear those words are heard,
"Will you let me in?"
May we have eyes to see the star,
May we have ears to hear the choir,
May we have hearts that finally speak:
Yes, yes, by all means, come in.
Come in and stay.
Amen
Report Cards for Term 1
On Tuesday February 3rd 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 Thursday February 5th and during the day on Friday February 6th. Please note
that Friday February 6th is a P.A. Day and that there will be no school for students
on that day. Parents will be notified with the report card of their conference time.
Message from the Principal
Over the past month we have experienced the reality that winter
is upon us. The days are short, the wind is strong and the weather
is cold. This is often seen as a time of despair and darkness. The
reality however is the exact opposite. At St. Brigid winter is a
time of great activity. Snow brings with it a renewed sense of
excitement. Yes, it is cold outside, but our students are well
dressed and prepared for the weather. As such, recess is a time
full of positive activities and interactions. Students build their
snow forts, play foot hockey and many other winter activities.
And when they come in from recess, although their cheeks are
red, there are smiles on the faces of our students.
Indoors, the positive activities continue for our students. St.
Brigid School is a busy place. There is so much going on, both
curricular and extra-curricular. Students are engaged in their
lessons and are participating in a wide variety of activities, such
as Catholic Student Leaders, Science Olympics, Reading Club,
Wizard of Oz practices, Free Throw Competition, Skiing,
Hockey and Basketball teams and a variety of others. I would
like to thank the school community for their support of these
events. I would also like to thank the teachers, who are often at
school late into the evening planning special events and lessons
for our students.
The weather is cold and the snow will continue to mount, but that
does not stop us from participating in all that the season has to
offer us. Let us be like our students, not feeling the cold, but
rather see the potential in what winter brings us. Let us challenge
ourselves to focus on the positives of the season and enjoy the
rest of the winter.
Please look at the back of this newsletter to see some
photographs of St. Brigid students enjoying the snow.
V. Pugliese
On Friday February 13th, St. Brigid School will be hosting our
annual Valentine’s Day ShareLife Dance-a-Thon. The ShareLife
theme this year is “We Can Do Wonders.” Each class will be
in the gym for approximately an hour, dancing and moving to
music. Our theme this year 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.
Family Day
Please note that Monday February 16th 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.
Feast of St. Brigid
The Feast of St. Brigid is on Sunday, February 1st. At St. Brigid
School we will be celebrating this feast on Monday February 2nd,
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.
Ash Wednesday
The season of Lent begins on February 18th, 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.
First Reconciliation
Please remember in your prayers our Grade 2 students who will
be receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday,
February 28th at 10:00 am at St. Jerome Church. Please ensure
that you and your child are attending mass on a regular basis.
If you have any questions regarding your child’s
sacraments, please contact the church office at (905)
455-4260.
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2015-16
We are now accepting registrations for Full-Day Kindergarten
and Grades 1 to 8, for the 2015-16 school year. The following
documents are required for registration:
Proof of age of the child (birth certificate or passport)
Original Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate of child or
Baptismal Certificate from an Eastern Church in full
communion with the Holy See of Rome. If the child has
not been Baptised, then the Baptismal Certificate of a
parent is required.
Updated immunization records
Proof of Canadian Citizenship (birth certificate, passport,
permanent resident status)
Proof of home address (property tax bill, current utility bill,
real estate document or Government of Canada issued
forms)
Please call the school at 905-454-0316 if you require any further
information
Twitter
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and
information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools.
Black History Month
“The ultimate measure of people is not where they
stand in the moments of comfort and convenience, but
where they stand in times of challenge and controversy."
Dr. Martin Luther King, "An Unbroken Chain" Lerner
Publications, 2000.
In facing the challenges and tribulations of today’s society, Dr.
Martin Luther King’s words call us to a strength of character,
morality and conviction. Let us use Dr. King as an inspiration to
live with conviction to our faith and to strive for a just society,
where all are equal.
To recognize and to celebrate our inclusive and diverse
traditions, we at St. Brigid will be acknowledging both the
history and the accomplishments of prominent citizens from the
past and present during Black History Month. Students will be
sharing profiles on the morning announcements throughout
February. In March, we will be celebrating our rich cultural
diversity by having students say a prayer on the morning
announcements in another language.
Science Olympics
Five junior students from St. Brigid will be participating in the
Mississauga Brampton Central Family of Schools Science
Olympics on February 27th. Students have been practicing their
skill in the various branches of science and have been preparing
for their special day when they will compete against other
students of our family. This year’s competition will take place
at St. Matthew School in Mississauga.
Milk Bags
Angela Kesthley came to St Brigid on January 15th,
2015 to show students how to weave a milk bag mat. And
to present on her trips to Haiti. All students had an
opportunity to cut milk bags or to weave the milk
bags. The students saw the impact that their efforts have
made and even completed our first milk bag mat. We
will be weaving more mats throughout the school year.
Please go to Milkbagsunlimited if you want more
information
Catholic School Council News
February is our month of Respect.
A respectful person…treats himself/herself and everyone else
with equal consideration and courtesy
Our Catholic School Council shares your ideas and suggestions
with the school and supports ways to enhance the educational
experience of our students. The Council also contributes to the
fundraising efforts in the school and helps to organize volunteers
for various events and activities. Our next meeting will be on
Monday February 23rd, 2015 at 7pm.
Family Skate Night
Our annual St. Brigid’s Family Skate Night will take place on
Tuesday February 3rd, between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. This year we
will be skating outdoors. Students and parents are all welcome
to join St. Brigid staff members at Gage Park. There will be
indoor entertainment across the street at Brampton City Hall.
Queen Elsa will be there with hot chocolate and refreshments.
Skate rentals will also be available. The Family Skate Night is
sponsored by our St. Brigid Catholic School Council. For safety
reasons, students should wear helmets and gloves while on the
ice. Please note that students should be accompanied by an adult.
Should there be a snowstorm our Skate Night will rescheduled
for February 10th, 2015.
Our Catholic Mission
This year as part of our Catholic Mission, and in keeping with
our virtue of Respect, we are sponsoring a child through a
Catholic organization, Chalice. Why Chalice? Chalice is a
Catholic Organization with the same values as ours: Faith,
Integrity, Commitment, Compassion, and Respect. Chalice
motivates the Catholic community through education and
increasing awareness of the needs of others. At St, Brigid, we
show our community we truly care.
Our child:
Daniel Ngui is from Mwingi Kenya and is 6 years old. He lives
in a 1 room house with his mother, brother and 4 sisters. Daniel’s
best subject is mathematics and he enjoys playing soccer with
his friends. At home he is responsible for gathering firewood.
Daniel wants to be a mason. St. Brigid students will be able to
correspond with Daniel by writing letters and we will receive
correspondence back. This will be $33 monthly, which our
Catholic School Council will be sponsoring.
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.
For more information, please call Peel Public Health at 905-7997700 or visit www.immunizePeel.ca. Translation services are
available.
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 905-7997700
Fax at 905-565-0426
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. We encourage all students to play
together and not to exclude anyone.
PLAYGROUND SAFETY RULES
The safety of all students at St. Brigid is our
number one priority. We remind students daily of
playground expectations. Please review the
following rules with your child:
 Keep your hands and feet to yourselves
 No verbal insults or inappropriate
language
 Treat all people with respect
 Respect school property
 Play only no contact games
 Stay on school property at all times
 Rocks, gravel and snow stay on the
ground.
Basketball at the Air Canada Centre
Staff, students, parents and friends will be attending
the annual St. Brigid Night at the Air Canada Centre
on Saturday April 4th to watch the Toronto Raptors play against
the Boston Celtics. St. Brigid Intermediate Boys and Girls
Basketball Teams will again be playing at the Air Canada Centre.
This year we will be playing on Thursday February 12th.
March Break Reminder
The March Break this year falls on the week of March 16 th to
20th. School resumes again on Monday, March
23rd. The last day of classes before the Break is
Friday, March 13th.
Scholastic Book Fair
Enter the Kingdom of Books!!! Come to the Scholastic Book
Fair in the St. Brigid School Library from Tuesday February 3 to
Thursday February 5, 2015. Our Special Family Event Evening
will be held on Parent-Teacher Interview Night, Thursday
February 5th from 3:30-5:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m. What a
great way to start off the New Year. Last year the money raised
from the fair allowed us to purchase new books for the library
and the children were super excited. In the past, your support and
enthusiasm for this school fundraiser has been wonderful and we
hope you can once again join us and participate in the Scholastic
Book Fair and discover new books.
Please note that the hearing and vision clinic that was originally
scheduled for December 11th has been rescheduled for Friday
February 13th.
Tuesday February 3rd is our first Mr. Sub Day of the second
semester. Individually packaged 6” sub, drink and snack will be
delivered for students that ordered Mr. Sub sandwiches. All subs
are compliant with the new Ministry of Education Food
Guidelines and will be prepared and delivered fresh to the
schools. The following will also be Sub days:
 Tuesday February 3rd & 17
 Tuesday March 3rd & 24th
 Tuesday April 7th & 21st
SCHOOL WEBSITE
Check out our school web
site. Access the site
through the School
Board’s website at
http://www.dpcdsb.org/ce
c
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.
5. A COLLABORATIVE CONTRIBUTOR
WHO:
 Works effectively as an interdependent
team member.
 Thinks critically about the meaning and
purpose of work.
 Develops one's God-given potential
and makes a meaningful contribution to
society.
 Finds meaning, dignity, fulfillment and
vocation in work which contributes to
the common good.
 Respects the rights, responsibilities and
contributions of self and others.
 Exercises Christian leadership in the
achievement of individual and group
goals.
 Achieves excellence, originality, and
integrity in one's own work and
supports these qualities in the work of
others.
 Applies skills for employability, selfemployment and entrepreneurship
relative to Christian vocation.
Weather Cancellations
There may be days during the upcoming winter months when
inclement weather presents a potential safety hazard. It is
essential that parents discuss with their children the procedures
they wish them to take to get home safely. This discussion
should include: where should the child go, if parents are not
home.
Please be advised that 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 am. If buses are
cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon.
Therefore students transported to school by parents require the
same transportation home. Parents/guardians are asked to
monitor the following radio/television to receive bus
cancellation/school closure information:
CHUM AM1050
CFRB AM1010
CFTR AM680
CBC FM99.1
VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
CTV
FM93.1
FM Z103.5
FM97.3
EZ ROCK
AM860
CJBC (FR)
CJCL AM590
CHFI FM98.1
CANADA AM
GLOBAL NEWS
CITYPULSE
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 well-meaning 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.
St. Brigid Evening at Swiss Chalet
Please join us on Thursday March 26th at the Swiss Chalet,
located at 2 County Ct Blvd, Brampton, for our annual St.
Brigid Evening at Swiss Chalet. St. Brigid staff will be serving
the public between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. and 10% of all St. Brigid
sales will be returned to our School. Last year’s event was a
great success with teachers, students and parents all having a
wonderful time.
You
may
go
to
www.stopr.ca for daily
bus
cancellations
delays.
or
Kiss ‘N Ride
Please note that it is extremely important that parents drive
slowly and cautiously while on school grounds. The lane closest
to the curb is for BUSSES ONLY. The Kiss ‘N Ride lane is the
middle lane. Please follow the procedures outlined below when
using the Kiss ‘N Ride lane:
Drive your vehicle in this lane and proceed to the furthest
point closest to the front doors of the school.
STOP
Child(ren) must exit your vehicle by the right hand side
door(s) only
Drive to the end of the Kiss ‘N Ride lane and cautiously
proceed into the Drive-Thru lane once all children have left
your vehicle.
At no time should parents park in the Kiss ‘N Ride lane. If you
need to enter the school, please park your vehicle in the school
parking lot or on the street.
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 the Kiss ‘N’ Ride
create a very dangerous situation and also impede the flow of
traffic.
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.
ATTENDANCE
VERIFICATION
905-454-0316 PRESS 1
Late Arrivals
With the colder weather we have had 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.
Dates to Remember
Feb. 1
Feb. 2
Feb. 3 - 5
Feb. 3
Feast of St. Brigid
Feast of St. Brigid Celebration – 1:15
Book Fair
Report Cards Sent Home
Mr. Sub Lunch
Family Skate Night – 6:00 pm @ Gage Park
Feb. 4
Lunch Moms
Feb. 5
Rosary Apostolates
Interview Evening
Feb. 6
P.A. Day – Interviews
Feb. 7 & 8 Confirmation Enrolment @ St. Jerome Church
Feb. 10
B.N.W. Hockey Tournament
Jr. Boys Basketball Tournament @ St. Kevin
CCCSC Mtg. @ St. Josephine Bakhita
Feb. 11
Lunch Moms
Jr. Girls Basketball Tournament @ St. Kevin
Feb. 12
Int. Boys and Girls Basketball Teams @ ACC
Feb. 13
ShareLife Dance-a-Thon
Pizza Day
Feb. 16
Family Day
Feb. 17
Mr. Sub Lunch
Feb. 18
Ash Wednesday
Lunch Moms
Feb. 20
Skiing
Free Throw Competition @ St. Monica
Feb. 23
Catholic School Council Mtg. – 7:00 pm.
Feb. 25
Lunch Moms
Feb. 27
Science Olympics @ St. Matthew
Pizza Day
Feb. 28
Reconciliation – 10:00 am @ St. Jerome
Church
Mar. 3
Mr. Sub Lunch
Mar. 4
Lunch Moms
Mar. 5
Rosary Apostolates
Mar. 6
Skiing
Mar. 10 Tour for Humanity Bus @ St. Brigid
Mar. 16 March Break Begins
Mar. 23 School Resumes
Catholic School Council Mtg. –7:00 pm.
Mar. 24 Mr. Sub Lunch
Mar. 25 Lunch Moms
Mar. 26 Swiss Chalet Night – 6 to 8 pm.
Mar. 27 Math Mania @ Our Lady of Peace
Pizza Day
Mar. 29 Holy Week Begins