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435 Rutherford Rd North
Brampton, ON L6V 3V9
Telephone: 905.453.4472
Principal:
A. Alonzi-Peever
Vice-Principal:
K. Barton
Superintendent:

December Prayer
Tucciarone
Head Secretary:
D. Brunetti
Secretary:
Christmas Tree
Blessing
Y. McCutcheon
Trustee:
T. Da Silva
Pastor:
Fr. Damien
Associate Pastor:
Fr. Kim
Holy Creator of Trees,
Bless with your abundant grace this our
Christmas tree as a symbol of Joy.
May its evergreen
branches be a sign of
your never-fading promises.
May its colourful lights
and ornaments call us to
decorate with love our
home and our world.
May the gifts that surround this tree be symbols of the gifts we have
received from the Tree
of Christ’s Cross.
Holy Christmas Tree
within our home, may
Joy and Peace come and
nest in your branches
and in our hearts. Amen
-Author Unknown
“Through A
Celebration Of
Our Faith All Who
Enter Our School
May Grow
Together As A
Christian
Community”
Virtue of the Month: Hope
This month we celebrate the virtue of Hope. We
believe that God comes to us as a real human who
can show us the way of life. God has given us this
Advent season year after year in order to focus our
minds and our hearts on the good all around us.
A Person of Hope:
 Keeps up a positive attitude
 Sets and sticks to goals
 Sees the good in others even when they make
mistakes
 Works to include others
ADVENT SEASON
Our parents who continue to keep the lines
of communication open with their child’s
teacher.
 Our bus drivers and crossing guards who
strive to keep our students safe.
 Our Catholic School Council for their commitment to the continual improvement of
our school as a Catholic learning community.
 Our volunteers who we appreciate so
much.
 Our trustee Tony Da Silva, as well as our
superintendent Alex Tucciarone for their
direction in “Keeping Children First”.
A special thank you to Tony Da Silva for his
years of dedication to our school community.
We wish him all the best in his new appointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board of
Canada. We welcome Anna Da Silva, our
newly acclaimed trustee.

Advent is a time of waiting for the birth of
Jesus Christ. During Advent, we prepare our
homes and ourselves to welcome the newborn
king. Advent traditions such as the Advent
wreath serve as visual reminders of this time of
waiting and preparing.
The Advent wreath is a popular custom that
originated in Germany hundreds of years ago.
The wreath is circular to remind us of the unending love of God for us. The evergreen
branches also remind us of this gift. The
wreath is an ancient symbol of victory and
symbolizes the glory of Christ’s birth. The
candles remind us that we were waiting in
darkness until Jesus, the Light of the World PROGRESS REPORTING AND INTERVIEWS
was born.
November 2nd our new ministry progress report cards went home. Teachers requested inCONGRATULATIONS
terviews with some parents. Please do no hesi& THANK YOU
tate at anytime to call your child’s teacher for a
meeting if you are concerned about academics
or any other issue. It is important to deal with
problems as they occur, and not to let them
fester! We appreciate the open communication
As we prepare for Christmas, we would like to and support the parents in our school community provide!
express our thanks to:
Everyone for their contribution to a successful first term.
 Our entire school staff (secretaries, custodians, lunch supervisor, teachers, education
resource workers, support staff) for the
time and energy they give to our busy
school.
 Our students who strive to become active
learners and community supporters.
 Father Damien and Father Kim for their
active participation in the spiritual development of our community.

VOLLEYBALL
The Intermediate boys volleyball
team competed in the family tournament on October 25th. They
finished 3rd overall.
Thank you for the tireless efforts
of their coaches, Mr. Galea and Ms. BoxHodgins. The hardworking team members
were:
Peter V, Kevin C. Melvin A., Miguel S., Christopher S., Schmel S., J.C. M., Ray F., Bryan D.
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SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
COLD WEATHER GUIDELINES
The next formal meetings of the School Advi- Winter’s here and therefore please ensure your
sory Council will be on Wednesday November children are dressed appropriately. Children
24th and Wednesday February 23rd
who are too sick to go outside at recess
in the school library at 7:00 p.m. All
should be resting at home. We ask parare invited to attend. A meeting in
ents to ensure children come with mitts/
January is TBD.
gloves, winter outerwear, hats, boots and
scarves. We also recommend that students bring an extra pair of socks and
mitts and have a pair of indoor running shoes.
CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Running shoes are the minimal safety requireDuring the weeks of Monday November ment for the mandated Daily Physical Activity.
22nd to Friday December 10th, St. Joachim It is imperative that all students have a proper
will be collecting gift certificates ONLY for pair of running shoes for Physical Education
the needy in our St. Anne’s Church commu- classes. Running shoes with platforms or
nity. Father Damian has asked the schools to wheels are not safe. Please ensure your child
only collect vouchers (gift certificates) for eas- has a proper pair of running shoes left at
ier distribution this year. Some suggestions for school or in their school bag on a daily basis.
gift certificates include Toys R Us and Bramalee City Center. The student Faith Ambas- BUS SAFETY
sadors will collect the vouchers
Ensuring student safety on the bus is an imfrom the classrooms everyday.
portant goal at St. Joachim school. Even if
Thank you to everyone for your
your child does not take a school bus daily,
continued generosity toward our
every child needs to know bus safety rules for
Christmas fundraisers!
when they take the bus for school field trips, or
ADVENT MASS
Please note that our Advent mass has been
scheduled for Friday, December 10 at 1:30 pm.
Any parents are welcome to join us for this, or
any mass throughout the year.
ST. ANNE PARISH FEAST DAY
Our Parish will be celebrating the Feast of St.
Anne on Thursday, March 3rd, 2010 at 7:00
p.m. at the Church. Many of the students will
have some involvement in the celebration,
whether they provide artwork for the parish
meeting rooms or are directly involved in the
Mass. Mark this date on your calendar. We
look forward to your presence at the celebration as we join in prayer as a Community of
Faith. More details will follow in future newsletters.
trips to the church. Please go over the following safety rules with your children:
 Listen to the bus driver at all times, they
are the adult on charge
 go directly to your seat when you get on
the bus and remain seated until the bus
stops at your intersection
 Never eat, drink, fight, horseplay, or swear
on the bus
 Do not open or close windows
 Do not vandalize bus seats, or any property
on the bus
 Respect private property while you are
waiting for the bus
 If someone is misbehaving on the bus, tell
the bus driver
 If you get hurt on the bus or you see someone get hurt on the bus, let the bus driver
know right away and inform the school
right away
SNOW STAYS ON THE GROUND
child at the Kiss and Ride to avoid having to
park. Please call the office if you want to add
your child’s name to the list of those students
who are escorted to the Kiss and Ride area at
the end of the day.
Parents are asked NOT to exit their cars
while in the Kiss and Ride lane. This creates
a very dangerous situation in the drive thru
lane. If you need to exit the vehicle in order to
unload your children, please park on a
neighbouring street to do this safely.
Students have been reminded, and will continue
to be reminded, that “Snow
Stays on the Ground”.
Every child in the school
has been made aware of the
importance of this rule in
preventing injury to others.
Please assist us by reviewing with your child, the
dangers of throwing snowballs and the impor- A few other safety reminders include:
tance of preventing injury to other children.  The inside line (which is the lane closest to
the school) will be the drop off lane and the
Together we will create a schoolyard, which is
outside lane will be the drive away lane.
safe for all.
 Do not park in the drop off lane, it backs
up traffic for all parents, simply wait for
DANCE-A-THON FUNDRAISER
your child to be escorted to the car
 Do not make a left turn from the Kiss
and Ride. The signage was put up after a
recommendation and approval from
Brampton Safe City Council and City
Council.
MOVING
Our school is preparing for a Dance-A-Thon to
take place on February 11th, 2010 at 9:00am.
We appreciate your donations to help fund the
many activities and needs of the school. Grade
6, 7, and 8 students, who will receive the most
time at the dance, are expected to contribute a
minimum of $5 to help offset the cost of the
DJ. More information will follow in the New
Year.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
A special thank you to all parents who are using the Kiss and Ride safely and correctly. It
was established to provide convenience and
safety for students and parents driving to our
school to drop off and pick up their children.
We encourage parents of grade one and grade
two students to pick up and drop off their
If you are planning to move out of the area
over the Christmas holidays, please contact the
school as soon as possible to request the
needed transfer forms.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY
You are invited to attend a workshop “The
Habits of Highly Successful Parents” by Paul
Clark on Thursday February 24th, 2011 at
7:30 at St. Jean Brebeuf School.
 What can you do to help your child succeed?
 What are the secrets to effective discipline?
 What are the most common mistakes?
Please RSVP by phone to St. Jean Brebeuf
School at 905 791-8529 by Feb 16th.
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If you are interested in attending, please call
Community members are reminded that park- 905 791-8529 to register.
ing on school property over night is not perThe Rising Stars group will be presenting an
mitted. During the winter, snow
interactive and educational workshop. The
removal equipment can not propevening workshop will not only serve to familerly navigate around cars. Vehiiarize participants with the selected awareness
cles that remain on the property
theme, but will also allow parents and guardiovernight will be towed at the
ans to become more comfortable in providing
owner’s expense. Thank you for
ongoing support and addressing these issues
your cooperation.
with youth.
For more information on Rising Stars, visit
NO DOGS ALLOWED
their website at www.riseabovetherest.ca.
Just a reminder that no dogs are allowed on
school property. Dogs often frighten children,
some students have dog allergies, and we want FRENCH IMMERSION
to limit the liability of students getting A French Immersion meeting will be held for
scratched or bitten by a dog. Please have your all Senior kindergarten parents who are thinkchild meet you on the public pathway, or side- ing of enrolling their children next year in our
walk if you are picking them up from school. French Immersion Program for grade one.
PARKING LOT
COATS FOR KIDS
You are invited to attend an information
Our community police officers will be collectmeeting at St Joachim School on
ing winter coats for those who are attending
school in sub-zero temperatures without a coat. Wednesday January 12th at 7:00
Gently used coats will be collected by officers, pm.
cleaned and distributed to those who need
something warm to wear this winter. If you
The deadline for submission of applications
would like to contribute, please drop off your
will be 2:00 pm on Wednesday
donation to the school office.
February 9th, 2011.
PA R E N T A N D C O M M U N I T Y
AWARENESS TRAINING
A hands on community workshop for under- FOR FACEBOOK 1O1
standing the issues of bullying is taking place Did you know that most students in
at
grades 5 and up are on facebook, with
St Jean Brebeuf Elementary
School
On
November 29th, 2010
7:30 to 9:00
an average “Friends” list of over 150?
Who are they really sharing with
online?
There are several opportunities for parents in
the St. Joachim community to attend a one of a
kind Facebook presentation by Chris Vollum, a
recognized authority on Facebook and Twitter.
If you are interested in attending, please call
the associated school to RSVP by phone.
February 7th, Lester B. Pearson School
May 12th, St. Leonard’s School
May 17th, St. Jean Brebeuf School
Please contact your school of choice to register.
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TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR)
BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER
2010 – 2011 SCHOOL YEAR
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:
VIRGIN RADIO FM 99.9
CJCL AM 590
97.3
CJBC (FR) AM 860
AM 640
CITYPULSE
CHUM AM 1050
CFTR AM 680
CFNY FM 102.1
CHFI FM 98.1
CFRB AM 1010
EZ ROCK FM
FM Z103.5
FM Q 107
GLOBAL NEWS
FM 93.1
CHIN FM 100.7
CBC
AM 1540
CFTO
We will be communicating one of four standard messages to the radio stations. The four announcements and their effect on the transportation system are as follows: (Please note that the highlighted
text only will be communicated by the radio stations).
“DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING
ST. ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND
R.F. HALL SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”
2.
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE
PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE
COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED”. This means that all runs listed under announcement #l PLUS the following are cancelled.
All schools in the Town of Caledon and all school runs that begin in the Town of Caledon.
Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school.
3.
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED.” This means that:
ALL Transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and The
Peel District School Board, including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for the entire day.
4.
“THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED.”
This means that:
ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board ad Peel District School Board schools and offices
are closed to all students and staff.
December 2010
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
24
5
6
7
8
9 Christmas
Gift Certificates are due
for Church
10 1:30 Advent Mass
11
12
13
14
15
16 Virtues Assem-
17
18
25
bly 9:15
19
20 Christmas 21
Holiday Starts
22
23
24
26
31
27
29
30
31
Thu
Fri
28
January 2011
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Sat
1
2
3 Back to School
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 PA day-No 15
School
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31