299 Landsbridge Street
Bolton, Ontario
L7E 2K4
Phone (905) 951-8788
Fax (905) 951-8798
MARCH 2015
LENTEN PRAYER
Principal: K. Barton
Vice Principal: F. Troiani
God our Father,
Secretaries: L. Grant and
G. Odoardi
You formed us from the dust of the earth
SERVING OUR
And brought us to new life in Christ
COMMUNITY
Through the waters of Baptism.
SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS
We ask you to change our hearts
L. Storey
As we journey through these forty days of Lent.
905-890-1221
Help us to see Jesus in everyone we meet,
TRUSTEE
And to serve him in all persons,
F. DiCosola
905-951-8898
Especially the poor, the sick and the lonely.
HOLY FAMILY CHURCH
By your grace, may our prayers and sacrifices this Lent
Rev. L. Leger and Fr. D.
Gikonyo
Help us grow closer to each other and to you,
905-857-1938
As one family in Jesus.
ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL
We make this prayer to you in His name. Amen.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Chair: M. Cardinale
905-951-8788
OUR VIRTUE FOR MARCH—KINDNESS
Please visit our
website at:
www.dpcdsb.org/JBAPT
Follow us on TWITTER
@JBAPT_DPCDSB
In the month of March we will highlight the virtue of kindness. 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
THE NEXT VIRTUE ASSEMBLY WILL BE ON TUESDAY MARCH 31, 2015 AT 1:35 P.M.
Page 2
Page 2
CLASS LISTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2015
EQAO
Staff will soon be meeting to organize class lists for September
2015. If there are any special learning needs your child has that
you feel we should know when making up classes, please do so
in writing to the pr incipal by April 30th. Letter s that list a
request for a specific teacher will not be considered. Please limit
comments to specific learning styles. Requests for your child
to be placed with a “friend” will not be considered. If you feel
your child has an ongoing conflict with another child, please
write us a letter and we will do our best to separate them. All
staff work hard to balance class lists by abilities, gender and
learning style. Please bear in mind that small primary classes
(max 20) often result in combined classes throughout the school.
These are a fact of life that children will have to experience
from time to time.
Requests for students not to be placed in a combined grade will
not be consider ed.
EQAO for all grade three and grade six students
will take place for this year during the period starting Monday May 25th to Friday June 5th. We
kindly ask that parents refrain from booking appointments or holidays during this time. Parents
may visit the EQAO website at www.eqao.com for
many
resources and useful information regarding EQAO, including sample tests from last year.
PLAN AHEAD . . .
We are in the process of planning staffing and organizing classes
for the 2015-2016 school year. If you are planning on moving
out of the St. John the Baptist area, or simply changing addresses within our boundaries, please let the office know as soon as
possible. Families with students who live outside of the school
area are reminded that they must apply through the Flex
Boundary policy to the Principal for permission to attend the
school in September 2015.

Consideration will be based on the following:

Attendance and punctuality

Consistent good behavior as deemed by the principal

Class sizes
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST’S
SHARELIFE HOCKEY GAME
Grade’s 4-8, come join us in watching students facing off against teachers and other school community members at our annual Sharelife Hockey Game.
The game will take place at Albion Bolton Community Centre on March 27, 2015. The start time is
still to be determined.
HAVE YOU BEEN RECEIVING OUR NEWSLETTERS???
There are still several parents who are not receiving the school’s newsletter and other notifiThe deadline for New Flex Boundary applications is May 29, cations through email. Those parents are encouraged to come by the front office to sign up
2015.
to receive email notifications. Thank you for
your support!
DROPPING OFF CLOTHING AND
HOMEWORK IN THE OFFICE
Parents please encourage your children to
remember to bring all their items to school in the
morning. Calling classrooms to remind students to
pick up materials, causes interruption to the class and
lessons being taught and the school does not have
enough personnel to make these calls.
Lenten Season
Our Liturgical Season of Lent is well underway and
continues until Easter weekend (April 3-6). During
our six week Lenten journey we recognize and discuss with our students our human frailties which
causes us to sin. We prepare for the coming of
Easter through reflection, prayer and charity. We
respond to Jesus’ call for a “change of heart” by
becoming stronger in our will to say ‘yes’ to God
and ‘no’ to our selfishness. We look forward to our
Lenten journey together, a strengthened and renewed faith in God’s will.
Page 3
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
AS
ALL STAR READING COACHES
The All Star Reading Program provides opportunities for students to develop and to enhance their reading and
thinking skills. The students, who have previously participated in the program, have achieved very positive results.
This term we are implementing the program with our grade one students. This entails a half day training session
and then an hour or two hours per week commitment for ten weeks. We look forward to working with you to
support our reading program. We really need volunteers to be All Star Reading Coaches. If you are interested in helping in this capacity, please return the form attached to our newsletter or pick up
one at our school office. Please contact Ms. Cecchetto if you have any questions regarding this program.
KISS N’ RIDE
Thank you to all our parents who are respectful of our Kiss and Ride and of the parking signage. Caledon By Law
Enforcement officers do regularly enforce the signage both at school and on the roads near the school.
Do not PARK your cars in the Kiss and Ride lanes as this causes unnecessary traffic backlog. If you require more
time, please park your car.
Please do not drop off your children in the drive through lane. Students should exit from the
RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE CAR. It is dangerous to have students cross the drop off lane. Our number
one concern is the safety of our students. We appreciate your assistance in this matter.
ECO-CLUB UPDATE
The winter has been long and yet there are many ways the Eco Team continues to act and think on behalf of the environment.
On February 5th, we salute the many students who showed great spirit in remembering to wear their sweaters for National
Sweater Day. The Day is designed to create awareness about our energy consumption in realizing that heating represents a
huge portion of energy needs throughout the winter. By lowering thermometers we lessen the drain on the energy supply.
We continue to celebrate our STEPS card participants who, if they’ve been at it steadily from our kick-off, on October 8th to the
present, February 25th, have taken 214 walks to and from school!!! That is five full walking cards, and then some… Congratulations to all those persevering despite the very frigid weather we’ve had lately!!
We are getting geared up for a few upcoming events: The Earth Rangers are expected to visit us on Monday, March 2nd to
speak to our Primaries and Juniors about endangered species they are currently working to save. Children and families are
invited to help their work by visiting their web-site http://www.earthrangers.com , learning more and spreading the news.
Other exciting projects include painting a rain barrel for the Town of Caledon’s annual drive to increase our water conservation
awareness and practices; creating an Anti-Idling video for a contest , also offered by the Town of Caledon to promote their new
Anti-Idling bylaws; celebrating the Great Gulp on Friday, March 13th and commemorating World Water Day on Saturday, March
22nd and finally, but definitely not least, celebrating Earth Hour, both at school (on Friday the 27th) and at home on Saturday
March 28th, from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
We are looking for interested members in the community who might like to participate in our Eco Fair, to be held on Friday, May
8th (last day of Catholic Education Week). If you have an interest in a particular area of environmental education or awareness
(i.e. gardening, community clean-ups, composting, recycling, etc), please contact Madame de Groot to book a spot in our second annual event. Parents, Grandparents, community members mark your calendars and come in for our Eco Fair open
house: More info to come!
Have a Marvelous March and a safe March Break.
Page 4
ATTENDANCE AND LATES
Why is it important for my child to be in school
every day and on time?









Parents and the school can work together to keep kids in
school. One of the most important first steps is for parents
to become aware of the dangers that school absenteeism
poses to a child’s success in school and later in life
When students miss school, they fall behind. When your
child comes home from school after an absence and tells
you they didn’t miss anything, remember, they were away
and can’t begin to know what they missed during the hours
the class was together.
Each school day a teacher presents new material and
builds on work given the previous day. When students
return from an absence they must catch up which can be
difficult for students who are not strong independent workers. Even strong students find it difficult to do their best
when there are gaps in their knowledge
Insist that the kids leave the house in time to arrive at
school at least five or ten minutes before the bell. The
time spent in the school yard before school is a transition
time that allows your child to reconnect with classmates
and to refocus on school issues. Lining up to enter the
school with the rest of class allows your child to become
part of the group and ease into the routines of school.
Arriving to school on time makes a difference. Your children learn the importance of punctuality from the example
you set.
The first few minutes in the classroom are critical. During
these minutes the teacher deals with important messages,
dates, and opening lessons.
As parents, you have many responsibilities toward your
child. One is the ensure your child is in school every day,
ready to learn. In fact, it is the law. The Provincial Education Act states that every child between the ages of 6 and
18 is required to attend school every day on time from
September to June. Consistent absences and lates are required to be referred to the school social worker.
The habit of non-attendance established in elementary
school typically continues into secondary school. By the
time your child is in high school, he or she will have more
independence and you will have less influence. Begin now
to set the standard that every school day is compulsory,
even on days your child is not ready for a test, or is tired.
Consider too, the messages you send about your own attitudes toward missing work or using sick days
If you are thinking of taking your child out of school for a
week or more, reconsider. Most children cannot afford to
miss a week or more of class work.
INTERMEDIATE PUBLIC SPEAKING
CONTEST
Congratulations to Michael R. (Grade 7 - Speech
topic is "Selfies") and Juliana C. (Grade 7Top Ten Craziest World Records) as they
will be representing our school on March
6 at St. John Paul. GOOD LUCK TO
YOU BOTH!!!
STAYING HEALTHY
Wash Your Hands Frequently: washing your hands is the
best way to stop germs from spreading.
Sneeze Into Your Elbow: don't cough or
sneeze into your bare hands; use a tissue
or if none are available -- cough or sneeze
into your elbow
Stay Healthy: Eating healthy, be active
and get lots of rest, keeps your immune
system strong.
MARCH BREAK 2015
There will be no school for students during the
week of March 16-20. School will resume on
Monday, March 23rd.
Congratulations to the Junior
Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Team!
On Thursday February 19th, 2015 the Junior Boys’ and Girls’
Basketball team competed in the mini-family tournament at St.
John Paul. They should be commended on their great effort,
spirit and determination. They truly did a wonderful job of
representing our school! Way to go Jaguars!
Boys Team: Damian M., Nolan B., Nicholas A., Vito M., Johnny G., Alessandro L., Michael P., Thomas B., Anthony D.,
Matteo C.,
Girls Team: Pia T., Emma T., Katerina Z., Cristina A., Julianna
Z., Danielle T., Emily U., Kyara C., Sierra R., Nicole R.
Thank you to the coaches; Mrs. Modugno and Mrs. Cecchetto
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
ALL STAR READING COACHES
The All Star Reading Program provides opportunities for students to develop and to enhance their reading and thinking skills. The students, who have previously participated in the program, have achieved very positive results. This
term we will implement the Program with our Grade 1’s. We really need volunteers to be All Star Reading Coaches.
This entails a half-day training session and then an hour to two hours per week commitment for ten weeks. We are
beginning our first week on March 30, 2015. We look forward to working with you to support our students’ reading.
Please complete the form below and return it to the school if you are interested in volunteering as an All Star Reading coach. Please contact Ms. Cecchetto if you have any further questions.
Please note:
All new coaches require training that will take place at the school. The date of the training will be forwarded
to you. If you were a coach in previous years you do not require training.
ALL STAR READING PROGRAM
I would like to volunteer to be an All Star Reading Coach.
Full Name:_____________________________________________________________
Telephone Number: (Home)_______________________________________________
(Work) _______________________________________________
Name of child(ren) in the school ____________________________________________
Days and Times you are available___________________________________________
I am a new coach and require training
_______
I have coached previously and do not require training
I have had a recent criminal reference check ______
I require a criminal reference check _______
_______
MARCH 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2 Pizza Day
3 Silver Creek
4 Hot Lunch
5
6 Speech Contest at St. John
Paul 1:45
7
12
13
14
Campanelli
11 Junior Speech
Contest at 1:00
Watson/Richards
8
9 Pizza Day
10 Silver Creek
15
16 March Break
17 March Break
18 March Break
19 March Break
20 March Break
21
22
23 Pizza Day
24 Gr. 8 Grad Pics
25
26
27 Sharelife
Hockey Game
28
Rosary Apostolate
Time TBD
29
30 Pizza Day
HOLY WEEK
31 Virtue Assembly
at 1:35
APRIL 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1 Hot Lunch
2 HOLY THURS- 3 GOOD FRIDAY
DAY
Stations of the
Cross at 1:00
Fri
Sat
4
NO SCHOOL
NO KINDERS
5 EASTER
6 EASTER Mon- 7 Spring Photos
day
8 Chess Tournament 9
10
11
16
17
18
24
25
At Good Shepherd
NO SCHOOL
12
13 Pizza Day
Swim to Survive
at 10:30 (Mrs.
O’Donnell)
14 Swim to Survive
at 1:00 (Mrs. Donnelly/Mrs. Zeni)
15 Parent Council
meeting at 6:30
Money Mentor
Workshop at 7:00
Hot Lunch
19
20 Inter. Immun.
Clinic
21 Swim to Survive
at 1:00 (Mrs. Donnelly/Mrs. Zeni)
22 Earth Day
23 Easter Mass
Gr. 8 to Lester B.
Theatre
9:00 and 10:20
27 Pizza Day
28 Rosary Apost.
29 Hot Lunch
Swim to Survive
at 10:30 (Mrs.
O’Donnell)
Swim to Survive at
1:00 (Mrs. Donnelly/Mrs. Zeni)
30 Virtues Assembly at 1:35
Pizza Day
Swim to Survive
at 10:30 O’Don.
26
Welcome to Kinder Night at 6:00
Geometry
The ability to identify and describe
shapes, sizes, positions, directions,
and movement is important in many
work situations, such as construction and design, as well as in creating and understanding art. Becoming
familiar with shapes and spatial relationships in their environment will
help children grasp the principles of
geometry in later grades.
Developing Mindsets that Promote Growth
What do we mean by “mindset”?
Mindsets are the assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves
and others. These attitudes guide our behavior and influence our
responses to daily events.
- Dr. Robert Brooks
Tips for Fostering a Growth Mindset:
Tip # 2. Emphasize the joy of learning for learning’s sake.
When discussing school, talk about learning as a means for
personal reward, growth, intellectual challenge, and
opportunity – not a means to earn a grade or get into a
great university.
Family Math Activity K – 3:Shapes of different
dimensions and their properties can be described mathematically.
Use shape stickers to make a shape picture. Try to
use as many different shapes as you can. Describe your picture and the shapes in it. Tell
why you used those shapes.
Grades 7 & 8: Continuing the Conversation
About Money Decisions!
Let’s discuss some factors affecting “Money Decisions”…
Ask your child to think about and identify a
movie, TV show, video game, website,
app, or book that deals with money.
Family Math Activities 4-6: Symmetry
With your child, identify all the symmetrical capital letters.
Have your child sort the capital letters according to
whether they have one line or two lines of symmetry.
Go on a symmetry hunt. With your child, find shapes, objects, patterns and designs around your home that have
lines of symmetry. (Look at wallpaper, floor tiles, pictures and designs on packaging)
Ask, what is the key message about money
that your child got from their experience?
Discuss some of the ‘lessons’ that could be
learned from the experiences your child
has had.
Note: Consider factors that affect money decisions: emotions, friends and peers, customs, traditions, habits, family members, latest styles and
fads, advertising, incentives, and personal values.