St. Bernadette School DUFFERIN-PEEL CDSB 1060 White Clover Way, Mississauga, Ontario L5V 1 K9 TEL: 905 501 9498 FAX: 905 501 9501 "Faith, Discipline, Excellence" F E B R U A R Y , A Valentine Prayer 2 0 1 3 ViRTUE FOR FEBRUARY I said a Valentine prayer for you And asked the Lord above To fill your heart and bless your soul With the precious gift of love. I asked Him for sincerer Love The kind that’s meant to stay Just like the generous love You give to those you touch each day. Principal: M.J. Vowles I prayed for love from family And from every cherished friend Than I asked the Lord to give you His love that knows no end. Author Unknown Secretary: M. Trigiani Superintendent: C. Saytar 905 890 1221 Trustee: Peter Ferreira PRINCIPAL‟S MESSAGE 905-890-1221 416-805-7110 peter.ferreira@dpcdsb.org St. Martins Church of Fr. J. Pottackal 905 279 5742 C.S.C. Co-Chairs: P. Gaspari J. DeCosta Tours February has arrived. It‘s like it was rushed in with the cold! Please be sure your children remember to bring all their warm clothes each day. This is an eventful month. We honour February as Black History month. Speech Competitions are planned. We have our annual Dance-a-thon with proceeds going toward school ―beautification‖. ―Carnaval‖ will also be celebrated. Our ECO school initiative is in ―full force‖ by our ―PROTECT‖ assembly. The grade 7 and 8 students are headed to Camp Muskoka. Our CSC is hosting Pancake Tuesday. The Catholic School Council is enlisting your support as they organize a Career night in the Spring. Also it is interview time. All parents are encouraged to schedule an interview with their child‘s teacher. I look forward to seeing you all Thursday night or Friday during the day. School Hours 8:30 - School Entry 10:30- Recess 11:00-Kindergartden Dismissal 11:30 - Lunch 12:30 -Afternoon Start We’re on the Web! http://www.dpcdsb.org/BERNA FEBRUARY 15 IS NATIONAL FLAG DAY MARCH BREAK February 15 was declared National Flag of Canada Day in 1996. It marks the day in 1965 when our red and white maple leaf flag was first raised over Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and indeed, hundreds of communities across Canada. March Break this year takes place the week of March 11th to 15th inclusive. We return to school Monday, March 18th. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY DAY FIRST TERM REPORTS As you know the Ministry has replaced three provincial report cards with two provincial report cards and one progress report that went home at the beginning of November. The first term report cards will go home Tuesday, February 5th and parent/teacher/student conferences will take place on Thursday, February 7th after school and into the evening and on Friday, February 8th in the morning. Junior and Senior Kindergarten students do not receive a formal report card at this time. Conference forms went home and interview times were listed on report card envelopes. Please note that Friday, February 8th is a Professional Activity Day for interviewing. There will be no school for the students. Children are encouraged to attend conferences with their parents. PUBLIC SPEAKING Red and White were designated as Canada‘s official colours in 1921 by His Majesty King George V. Check out the story behind our greatest national symbol canada.gc.ca/flagday KISS „N RIDE The parking area at the west side of the school is NEVER a pick up/drop off area. This is to ensure student safety at the crosswalk. Thank you to parents who use the Kiss ‘N Ride as it is intended. A driver is behind the wheel at all times. Students load and unload in the centre lane. Drivers use the left lane for exiting the driveway. Cars that are parking must park on the road. The entry/exit to and from the staff parking is closed - 8:15-8:30 and 3:00-3:15 for student safety. Cars may be ticketed when parking in the ‗NO PARKING‘ areas. FRENCH IMMERSION DEADLINES Once again, as part of the Language Arts Curriculum, our students in Grade 4 through 8 have been involved in planning, preparing and presenting oral presentations– speeches. Our school competition is an excellent opportunity for students to develop a level of comfort and proficiency in presenting thoughts and ideas. Our Intermediate competition will take place on February 4th, and our Juniors will compete on February 11th. One winner from each division will compete in the Mississauga South Family of Schools Competition on February 27, 2013 at St. Bernadette School. Two Intermediate winners will compete in St. Martin of Tours CWL Competition on February 9th. The deadline for submission of applications is 2:00p.m. February 6, 2013 at the school to which you are applying for your child to attend. EXTENDED FRENCH PROGRAM At the present time St. Rose of Lima School is the designated centre for our area. Applications will be accepted at that centre until 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 6, 2013. REGION OF PEEL—IMMUNIZATION Region of Peel will be notifying you with regard to your child/ children‘s immunization if they are not up to date. Please make sure you comply with their request to have your children immunized and send all information to the address noted on their letter to you. This will avoid suspension of your child from school . Dates To Remember Feb.1-10:00, Bishop Visit @ St. Martin of Tours Feb. 1-12:45 Virtue & ECO Assembly Feb.4– a.m. Intermediate Speeches Feb. 4 –Report Cards go home Feb. 6-Region of Peel Winter Walk to School Day Feb.6 –Extended French & French Immersion Application deadline Feb. 7-Interview Evening Feb.8– P.A. Reporting Day, no school for students Feb. 9– CWL Speech Competition at St. Martin of Tours Feb. 11– a.m. Jr. Speeches Feb. 11-12:45 Carnaval Assembly Feb. 12– Shrove Tuesday, CSC Pancake Day Feb. 13– 8:45 am Ash Wednesday Liturgy in the gym Feb. 14– Valentine Day/Dance-A-Thon Feb. 15 –National Flag Day Feb. 18 –Family Day Holiday Feb. 19-21 –Gr. 7/8 Camp Muskoka Trip Feb. 26– 6:30 pm CSC meeting Feb. 27 - Mississauga Central Family Public Speaking Competition - snow date, March 1 SWIM TO SURVIVE During the month of January, the grade 3 students participated in the Swim to Survive Program. They travelled to River Grove swimming pool three times, where they enthusiastically entered the water. They learned safety rules and water survival skills. Many students learned how to roll into deep water, tread water for over a minute, and swim for at least 50 metres. The program was full of life saving skills, but was also filled with lots of water fun! SHROVE TUESDAY Once again all students at St. Bernadette will received pancakes. This initiative is supported by the Catholic School Council. We thank them for their generosity in sponsoring the running of this event. This year Shrove Tuesday is Tuesday, February 12. FULLY ALIVE FAMILY LIFE PROGRAM The Grade 4 classes will be learning about Child Abuse Prevention. The unit called ―I Matter!‖ is a module of four lessons which will be presented by your child‘s teacher and will assist your child in understanding child abuse and its various forms. There will be an information meeting session on the subject of child abuse. We kindly request that you not bring your children to this gathering , as child care is not provided. Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m Location: Catholic Education Centre 40 Matheson Blvd. West Mississauga, Room 301 MEDICATION A reminder that students are not allowed to bring any medication to school. This includes prescription and non-prescription medication. As per Board protocol, all medication must be stored in the office, accompanied by appropriate paperwork and doctor signature. Please note that this includes Advil, cough medication, cough drops, etc. We thank you for your co-operation in this matter. As always, we care about the safety of our students. CLOTHING IN COLD WEATHER Children go outside for recess and lunch hour, weather permitting. During morning announcements, we remind students to wear all winter clothes. Children should come to school with boots, winter coats, hats and mittens. INDOOR SHOES Students must have a pair of ―indoor shoes‖ at school. This ensures they have a dry pair of shoes to wear indoors. Wearing sock feet is unsafe. PEEL SAFETY VILLAGE VISIT On Friday January 18th we went to Peel Safety Village in Brampton to learn about laws in our country. Some of the things we learned about were federal, provincial, and municipal laws. We also played an interactive game on what we learned and our skills were put to the test. We also had the opportunity to see what a jail cell looks like and have our fingerprints taken. The officers were all very enthusiastic and they taught us the choices we make today will effect us for the rest of our lives! Written by: Robin and Janessa Mrs. Weeks Grade 5 class STAYING IN FOR RECESS In the colder weather we receive numerous requests to allow children to remain indoors when students have a cold, flu, etc. Please note that we cannot comply, as we neither have the facilities nor the staff to supervise these students. Moreover, Health Officials indicate that the fresh air is good for children...not harmful, as long as students are dressed appropriately. On extremely cold days, particularly when the wind chill factor lowers temperatures considerably, we will limit the amount of time that students spend outdoors, or hold recess indoors. With the exception of these occasions, we expect that all children will go outdoors for recess and during the lunch break. Students who are too ill to participate in regular school day activities should stay home until feeling better. DUFFERIN PEEL SKILLS We are proud to be preparing Design and Technology, Lego Robotics, Lego Mechanics, Animation and Workplace Safety and TV Video Production teams to participate in the Skills Canada Competition on April 10th . We wish our grade 4-8 students who are participating in these events well in their endeavor to fulfill their challenges to the best of their abilities. CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS In compliance with Ministry directives, a Criminal Reference Check is required if you wish to volunteer your services in the school, transport students and assist on trips. Copies of the Criminal Reference forms are available at the police stations. An annual declaration is required for all valid Criminal Reference Checks that are on file in the school office. A Criminal Reference Check will be required this year if you plan to volunteer for both in school and out of school activities. STUDENT LUNCH MONITORS Do you have some time each day? We need student monitors to supervise over the lunch hour, each day. We also require emergency monitors to cover occasionally when the regular student monitors are ill. You will require a Criminal Reference Check. Please contact the school office if interested. EQAO The EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) testing of our grade 3 and 6 students will take place from May 27th through to June 7th. Please avoid scheduling any doctor‘s appointments or anything else that will take your child out of school during the testing dates. A letter to grade 3 and 6 parents with further information will be sent home closer to the testing dates. KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION Last week was Kindergarten registration. If you forgot to register please come as soon as possible so we have a accurate count of classes to accommodate students. VIRTUE FOR FEBRUARY-RESPECT Help your children be respectful by setting a goal for the week. Week 1: Say ―Please, Thank You, Excuse Me‖. Week 2: Hold the door for someone. Week 3: Be a good listener –let one person speak at a time. Week 4: Be aware of body language. Smile and say hello, how are you? LATE FOR SCHOOL School begins at 8:30 a.m. Please ensure your child in on time for school. When a child is late, she/he misses valuable teaching time and causes a disruption to the lessons being started in the class. Developing excellent work habits and time management skills can maximize a child‘s learning potential! For students that are constantly late, the Principal will be contacting parents at home. If it becomes a major concern the school will forward the information to the Attendance Office at the Board. STUDENT ABSENCES Thank you for being so diligent in calling when your child is going to be absent or late. Please remember to leave a reason why your child is absent or late for the day. St. Bernadette 24 hour Attendance Line: 905-501-9498 xt. 1 ASH WEDNESDAY Our liturgical season of Lent begins with our “Celebration of Ashes” on February 13th and continues until Easter. We are encouraged to say ―yes‖ to God and ―no‖ to our own selfishness. We can make a fresh start too, and try to keep in touch with God, to be less selfish and more generous. What Lenten promises will you and your child (ren) try to follow? The emphasis should be on doing things for Jesus, rather than simply on giving things up. Parents are invited to join us on February 13 at 8:45 a..m. for our school Liturgy. Planning and Networking for Transitions Series Workshops for Parents Last April 18th, 2012, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, through the support of a Ministry of Education Parent Reaching Out grant secured by the Special Education Advisory Committee, hosted an evening event entitled Planning the Future Through your Child’s Eyes to engage the parent community in better understanding the importance of effective transition planning for students with special education needs. As in past years, the Special Education and Support Services Department is hosting two series of five week interactive workshops designed for parents and their young adults with developmental disabilities to develop a transition plan that will take them from high school life to adult life. This workshop series is called Planning and Networking for Transition. This year, another S.E.A.C. PRO grant will support these sessions, which are free to participants. Two sets of workshops will be offered, one in Brampton, and one in the spring, in Mississauga. Families are asked to commit to attending all 5 evenings in the workshop. Admission will be given out on a first come first served basis. Please choose which session is more convenient for you and your family: St. Augustine Secondary School, 27 Drinkwater Road in Brampton (School Library) Times: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Tuesday Feb. 5- Tuesday March 5, 2013 inclusive. If you would like to attend this session please RSVP via e-mail to Grace Williamson at grace.williamson@dpcdsb.org (905)890-0708 ext.24005 by Friday February 1, 2013 for the February Series. Please provide: Family name/number of attendees, contact phone number and e-mail. St. Joseph Secondary School, 5555 Creditview Road in Mississauga (School Library) Times: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm from Thursday May 2 through Thursday May 30, 2013, inclusive. RSVP at the email address above by Monday April 22, 2013. For further information, contact L. Hutchison, Academic Consultant: Secondary Diverse Learners and Transitions at (905)890-0708 extension 24546. DANCE-A-THON St Bernadette School will be having our annual Dance-a-Thon on Thursday, February 14th. Our students from Junior Kindergarten to grade 8 are invited to participate in this event. The theme for this year’s dance is “Friendship”. Students are encouraged to get into the spirit of the dance by wearing red, white or pink. The money raised from this event will be used towards the purchase of outdoor beautification for the school. CARNAVAL We are celebrating the Carnaval season with 4 fun theme days. Students who participate in these theme days will receive a ballot from their classroom teacher. The ballots will be for a draw on February 11 th. Here is the schedule of events. February 5th - Carnaval Wacky Hair Day- Everyone is encouraged to Create his or her craziest hairdo. February 6th- Carnaval Wacky Tie Day- Wear a bizarre tie or decorate and create your own crazy tie. February 7th- Carnaval Tuque Day- Wear your favouite tuque! February 11th- Carnaval Colours Day- Wear red, white and black. (all 3 colours for the ballot) Carnaval assembly in the gym in the afternoon. Watch for a surprise visitor from Quebec! SPORTS NEWS HEALTHY RECIPE Double Chocolate Brownies This recipe is taken from the Eat Right Ontario publication BAKE IT UP! Available at: http://www.eatrightontario.ca/CMSTemplates/EROWebsite/ Templates/CentralAttachments/Bake It Up final.pdf GIRLS BASKETBALL The Intermediate Girls Basketball team had a great season filled with tough games and a lot of laughter. We faced some challenging teams but persevered with great spirit. Ms. Ligotti is very proud of their dedication to the sport and the great skills they gained. The team consisted of Cara C., Madeline C., Sharon D., Kelly F., Sophia H., Gabrielle H., Marina M., Cameron M., Erica R., and Jessica T. A special thank you goes to Mr. Zoretich and Ms. Paciejko for helping out this season! BOYS BASKETBALL The Intermediate Boys Basketball season has come to an end. The team consisted of 12 dedicated players who worked hard and played their hardest every minute of the game. Although the season was a short one, it was very exciting to watch the boys develop and grow individually as players, as well as into a great team. Thanks for a wonderful season, your coaches are very proud of you. ECO FACT These moist, cake-like brownies are fast to make and not overly sweet, and since you‘re mixing the batter in one bowl, cleanup is easy. P.S. No one will ever guess that there are beans in them. Kid testers gave this one “2 thumbs up”. 1-1/2 cups canned black beans, 375 mL rinsed and mashed 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour 175 mL 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 125mL 1 tsp baking power 5 ml 1/2 tsp salt 2 mL 3 large eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 250 mL 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 50 mL 3 tbsp canola oil 45 mL 2 tsp vanilla 10 mL 1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips 50mL Preheat oven to 350 F (180C) Line an 8 inch (20 cm) square metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 2 inch (5 cm) overhang at opposite ends. Lightly spray foil with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine beans, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. With a wooden spoon, beat in eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until just a few moist crumbs cling to a tester inserted in the centre. Do not over-bake Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Using foil overhangs as handles, remove from pan and transfer brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Enjoy KEEP HEALTHY! Region of Peel has designated Wednesday, February 6 as Winter Walk Day. When a tap is turned on, 2 to 7 gallons of pure drinking water flow out every minute. Indeed, we are easily fooled by the generosity of our taps. Each time we use them, a large part of the water goes down the drain without even being dirtied. When you wash the dishes by had, fill the sink rather than washing each plate under a continuously running tap. Better yet, invest in a water-efficient dishwasher—if you use a machine wisely, it will likely use less water than even careful hand-washing practices. Prizes will be drawn for all students who walk to school on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday each student will receive a ―Family Fun in Five Minutes‖. Please take the opportunity to practice the Family Fun sessions each day with your child/ren.