ST. BERNADETTE SCHOOL
1060 White Clover Way, Mississauga, Ontario L5V 1G7
PRINCIPAL:
SECRETARY:
SUPERINTENDENT:
Mrs. M. Parker
Mrs. L. Magi
Mr. D. Amaral (905) 890-1221
Phone: 905 501-9498
Fax: 905 501-9501
TRUSTEE:
Mrs. L. del Rosario (905) 890-1221
PASTOR:
Fr. J. Pottackal (905) 279-5742
SCHOOL COUNCIL CHAIR: Mrs. Gaspari
NOVEMBER 2015 – NEWSLETTER #3
Virtue of CONSCIENCE
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
November has arrived and with it comes the realization that
yes, Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas trees and
decorations not to mention snow, the dreaded cold, slippery
stuff. YUCK!!
November is the month of Remembrance. For Catholics this is
a special time of year, as we are reminded of the importance
of the feasts of All Saints & All Souls Day. These two special
days remind us that God has a special plan for everyone.
Before we were born, God willed for us to live with Him
forever. When we were baptized, we became part of a special
family called the communion of saints, who share in Jesus’ gift
of His holiness. The saints are people who said “yes” to God’s
plan for them and are now in heaven. Some were children and
young people, some were mothers and fathers, some were
monks, priests or nuns, and some were single people. On All
Saints Day, we praise and thank God for what He has done for
us through these holy people. We ask the saints to pray for us
that we might love our God and neighbour the way Jesus
taught us. On All Souls Day, we pray for all people who have
died. We ask God to bring them to the joyful banquet of
heaven to be with God and the saints forever.
On November 11th, Canadians all across the country stop and
honour those who have served, at home or overseas, in World
War I, World War II, Korea and in all peace missions all
around the world. Memorial services pay tribute to the more
than 100,000 brave Canadians who were killed in the service
of their country. The World War I Armistice was signed on the
11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. As such, we stop
and remember on the 11th hour of November 11th. We will
be honouring Remembrance Day by having an assembly on
Nov. 11th at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome to join us.
We have a BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE in our front foyer.
Please feel free to write down the name(s) of those who you
would like to remember.
God Bless,
Mrs. Parker
Principal
REMEMBRANCE DAY PRAYER
Loving God,
Have mercy on your people,
And open our hearts to peace and love.
Reward all who have died for their country,
And grant that Canada and all nations
May continue to work for peace and justice.
Bless us in your service,
And help us to follow Jesus Christ,
Who is our Saviour and our Lord
For ever and ever.
Amen
Thanksgiving Day school Mass
St. Bernadette School celebrated Welcome Back/Thanksgiving
mass on Tuesday, October 6. Fr. Gigo from St. Martin of Tours
led our school in this wonderful gathering where signs of our
faith were demonstrated and celebrated.
Thank you to all who have donated non-perishable food items.
Please keep in mind that Christmas is another time where
families are in need. If possible and if you are able, please
consider making a donation towards families in need in our
community. Food or other gift cards are wonderful ways to
support our neediest brothers and sisters. You can drop these
off to the office at any time. Mrs. Magi and I will collect and
distribute.
Thank you!
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH November is CONSCIENCE
God has given us the ability to know the right and decent way
to act and then to act that way. We trust that the common
Spirit we share inspires us and guides us to make good
decisions if we allow our CONSCIENCE to be well-formed. A
person of CONSCIENCE allows prayer & scripture to influence
him/her.
A person of CONSCIENCE:
• Chooses to do the "right thing" and feels good about it
• Can see how his/her actions may hurt others
• Admits his/her wrong-doing and feels badly
• Says "sorry" and tries to make up for mistakes
• Keeps promises
NOVEMBER “SAFE SCHOOL” FOCUS
EVERYONE NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO
LIVE IN PEACE
In November students will focus on the message
of peace. Peace is defined as inner contentment,
serenity and harmonious relations. Students
will create a unique ‘peace place’ in each of their classrooms.
The ‘peace place’ is an area identified and decorated by
students that they can use to take a moment for personal
reflection or to resolve conflict with another student. This idea
of having a ‘calming’ space is used in schools, workplaces and
family homes.
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
 help your child learn to recognize early signs that
they are becoming agitated or upset
 create a calming space / reflection area in your home
 learn the steps of the conflict resolution model the
school uses and apply those at home
BULLYING AWARENESS & PREVENTION WEEK
November 16-20, 2015
Students will be involved in various anti-bullying initiatives
and discussions. We have many exciting activities planned
including our Bullying Prevention and Awareness Kick off/
Virtue of Conscience directed by our Youth Faith Ambassadors
in our school chapel on November 6, 2015.
Classroom teachers will be engaged in Bullying Awareness tips
and solutions. Students will be encouraged to become ‘better’
at resolving differences and to work on positive conflict
resolution methods.
Please read the attached Bullying Awareness and Prevention
Week insert for information.
REMINDERS AND RESOURCES: COLD AND
FLU SEASON
As cold and flu season approaches, the
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
continues to be vigilant in ensuring that our
schools are clean and that our school
communities are educated regarding good hand hygiene and
cough etiquette. These practices are promoted on an ongoing
basis, but as the prevalence of colds and flu increases, our
board increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as well as
reminds schools to review cold and flu prevention with
students and staff. Many resources are utilized from our
regional health units.
A reminder, as well, that communicable diseases can be
contracted in public places throughout the year. For example,
cold-related viruses, such as Enterovirus, are transferred from
person to person through hand contact. Cold and flu viruses
typically peak from December through February, but can start
as early as October.
REGIONAL HEALTH UNIT RESOURCES
Please assist us by reviewing good hand washing procedures,
as well as other preventative measures, as outlined in the Peel
Health resources available to you through their websites. As
always, children who are unwell, should be kept at home.
FLU CLINICS
Also available on the Peel Health website, are the schedules of
local Flu Clinics.
For more information, visit the health unit websites:
 Peel
Health
website:
http://www.peelregion.ca/health
Direct links to the above information can be found in the
Parent Section of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board website at www.dpcdsb.org
GENTLY CLOTHING
FOUNDATION
DRIVE
FOR
THE
KIDNEY
For the month of November gently used clothing will be
collected here at St. Bernadette School. If you have any items
of gently used clothing that you no longer need please feel free
to donate. All items can be dropped off in our front foyer or
to the Representative outside our school.
CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS
Celebrating birthdays with
friends is important to all. At
school we will be announcing
birthdays of students on a
daily basis. Some families choose to have special celebrations
and invite friends to their homes or out to a special location
for their birthdays. We do have some requests from parents to
bring birthday treats to share with their class. Because we have
students with life-threatening allergies we do NOT allow food
items to be brought to classes. We are happy to assist in the
sharing of NON FOOD treats ONLY.
PROGRESS REPORTS
Progress reports will be coming home on November 17, 2015.
The progress report provides initial information, early in the
school year, about a student’s progress. It is designed to show
a student’s development of the learning skills and work habits,
as well as a student’s general progress in working towards the
achievement of the curriculum expectations. For these
reasons, the November Progress Report does not include
marks.
The evening of November 19th, 2015 will be designated for
Parent Teacher Interviews
Classroom/Planning time teachers will be available to meet
with you. Please send back the interview request form sent
home and return it no later than Monday, November 16, 2015
in order for teachers to accommodate your request.
*Note: Students in FDK do not receive a progress report in
November.
FRENCH IMMERSION INFORMATION MEETING
arents interested in enrolling their child in French Immersion
for students going into grade 1 in September 2016, are invited
to an information session on Tuesday, November 10th, 2015 at
7:00 p.m. at St. Pio of Pietrelcina School, or on Thursday,
November 12, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Margaret of Scotland
school. An information flyer was sent to all current Senior
Kindergarten students on October 20th.
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Grade 4 parents/guardians, who wish to enroll their child in
a Grade 5 Extended French for September 2016 are invited to
an information meeting on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at ST.
Therese of the Child Jesus School, at 7:00 p.m. 905-7850066. An information flyer was sent home at the end of
October for all grade 4 students.
HALLOWEEN CANDY DRIVE – Dr. Simone
We are collecting any leftover candy from Halloween. Candy
can be dropped off at the main office. All items will be
collected and delivered to Dr. Simone’s Warehouse where it
will then be distributed to poor children.
905 501-9498
Please call by 8:15 am if your child is going to be away
for any reason.
VISITORS TO ST. BERNADETTE
CHRISTMAS AT ST. BERNADETTE SCHOOL
St. Bernadette School will be celebrating Christmas with an
evening concert for parents/guardians on Thursday,
December 10, 2015 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
Santa will be available between 4-5:45 pm for photos. For
$10.00 you can order a photo package. These photos will be
processed and sent home for your sharing, etc.
Please come out and join us for this community building
evening. We will be accepting donations of gift cards, nonperishable food items, toys and warm winter wear for those
neediest in our school community.
Thank you and we look forward to sharing this beautiful
evening with you.
Thank you for your generous support.
KINDERGARTEN
REGISTRATION 2016-17
See attached flyer
REGULAR ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY
Did you remember to turn your clocks back
an hour? We now have one extra hour to
sleep which should help our students get a
good night’s rest. Please help them prepare
for with life skills by getting students to school
on time. School begins at 8:30 am. At this time students are
to be in their classrooms not in the office signing in.
Regular attendance and punctuality are important life skills
that apply not only in the educational setting, but also in
various other settings and especially in the work place. When
a student arrives late, it can be a disruption to his/her learning
as well as to the learning of the other students in the class. A
total of the number of days absent and late are documented
and become part of the student’s record. Students should
arrive on time to line up with their peers when the bell rings.
It is important to address frequent absences and late arrivals
for non-medical reasons early as they may have a long-term
negative impact.
It is a parent’s responsibility, as outlined in the Education Act,
to ensure that their child is in regular attendance and on time
for school. When regular attendance and punctuality are
problematic, a meeting with parents, the principal and other
school personal may be required in order to discuss a plan for
helping the child improve attendance and/or prompt arrival.
Parents are welcomed to St. Bernadette
School throughout the year, however, for
the safety of all children, parents and visitors
must use only the front door for entry and must sign in at the
office and receive a visitor’s sticker each and every time you
visit the building. As a reminder, we are now required to keep
all outside doors locked, including the front doors. The only
access point will be via the front doors and visitors will require
entry through a buzzer system. Please be patient as there will
be times when Mrs. Magi will need to be away from her desk
and may not be able to admit you as soon as you ring the
buzzer.
At no time are visitors permitted to go to the classrooms as this
is a disruption to student programming and may pose a safety
concern. Since the hallways are busy during pick up times,
siblings and parents are asked to arrange with your child, a
meeting place outside of the school. Messages and deliveries
(keys, lunches, etc.) are handled through the office. Please
remember: to most students in the school, you are a stranger.
Thank you for making St. Bernadette School safe.
**DAYCARE** – if your child is dropped off at the daycare
location in the AM you will be issued a PARKING PASS which
is lime-green in colour. This will indicate to teachers on duty
in the morning to permit you to enter that parking lot.
Again, you are reminded that drop off should be between 8:00
am and 8:15 am in order to reduce the interruption and
possible injury of parents/children who are being walked or
driven to school for the 8:30 am start time. Please do not shout
at teachers who may not let you into the teacher parking lot.
Pylons are put up to offset congestion in the parking lot and
possible physical injury. If you are late dropping your
children off, consider parking your car on the road and
walking them into the daycare.
We kindly remind students and parents that you are not
permitted to access the main part of the school after 3:00 p.m.
to pick up forgotten items from your child’s classroom.
Children are reminded daily to take all necessary items home
daily.
COMMUNICATION
Open communication between home and school is very
important. Although we will be reporting to you formally
during the school year, please do not hesitate to contact us at
any time if you have questions or concerns. A phone call on
the onset of a concern usually resolves itself before it becomes
a problem. On our part, if we have any concerns about your
child, we will also contact you at the earliest opportunity.
Newsletters will be sent home once a month throughout the
school year. These will also be uploaded to our school website.
him/her a signed note indicating they have your permission
to leave the school property. Students who leave the school
for lunch MUST sign back into the building by 12:25 pm at
the front office.
KISS’N RIDE
Please note that you will be solely responsible for your child’s
safety if he/she leaves school property with your permission
at lunch time.
School start up always seems to bring with it traffic headaches.
To attempt to avert any possible confusion parents/guardians
are reminded that the drive in front of the school is ONLY for
drop off and pick up times. Parents/guardians are not to use
the visitor parking when the Kiss’n Ride is open as this is a
safety concern for those dropping off or picking up their
children in the Kiss’n Ride lane. The access to the staff parking
is closed from 8:15 am to 8:30 am and again from 3:00 pm to
3:15 pm.
If pylons are up that is an indicator that NO cars are permitted
in the teacher parking area As well, after 8:15 am if you have
a child in daycare and you have not dropped of your child
prior to that time, if the pylons are up you will need to either
a) Park your car on the road and walk your child into
the daycare or
b) Wait on the road until 8:30 when the pylons have
been removed.
THERE IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS – SAFETY OF OUR STAFF
AND STUDENTS IS PARAMOUNT.
When dropping off or picking up your child using the KISS’N
RIDE please note that you will need to advance your car
forward to the first spot before your child will be permitted to
enter your vehicle. Students have been reminded that they do
not get into a car unless the teacher on duty instructs them to
do so.
It is important that you do not put your car in Park and get out
of your vehicle in the KISS’N RIDE lane. We need to have
traffic flowing to ensure that all students get home safe and
sound.
Finally, Mississauga Parking control is around and therefore,
please be mindful if you park in Kiss N Ride or bus/fire route.
Disabled Parking is for those individuals with a valid permit.
Please do not park there even if it is “for a short time”. You
will be fined.
LUNCHES
At St. Bernadette we will continue to practice Healthy Eating
as outlined in the Canadian Food Guide. We ask parents to
take some time to send their children with homemade
nutritious snacks and lunch. Fast food is high in fat and low
in fiber and vitamins. We will continue to include a Healthy
recipe or idea in each monthly newsletter and hopefully these
will assist parents in your food preparation for your child/ren.
You are the best educator for your child and a healthy diet is
key to learning and living.
NEW CHANGES TO OUR Gr 7 & 8 LUNCH AT SCHOOL
ROUTINE
Beginning November 2, 2015 all grade 7 and 8 students will
be going directly outside from 11:30 am to 12:10 pm. If you
are going to be dropping off your intermediate child’s lunch
please note their new lunch (eating) time is now from 12:10
pm to 12:30 pm.
If you allow your child to leave the school property for lunch
on those RARE OCCASIONS, please make sure you send with
PIZZA DAYS
Pizza lunches are for ALL students starting November 2, 2015.
Students from FDK to grade 8 who would like to voluntarily
participate may do so. Slices are $2.00/each. Money
collection days are Mondays and Wednesdays and we place
orders on these days. Pre ordered Pizza lunch days are
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Please note these on your calendar.
CHOCOLATE FUNDRAISER
Our Chocolate fundraiser is
now over. If you have
taken a box or more and
have not returned product
or funds, please do so no
later than Monday,
November 9, 2015.
PEANUT AND NUT ALLERGIES
There are students in our school who have
severe peanut or nut allergies, which are life
threatening. Allergic people exposed to
peanuts, nuts and their by-products, or
residues are at risk of suffering a serious
reaction. Some children are so sensitive that even the smell of
peanut butter or nuts can cause problems and could be fatal.
Because of the seriousness of this condition, everyone’s
continued cooperation is needed in not sending foods to school
with peanuts, nuts or their by-products. In the event that a
child accidentally brings a lunch or snack with peanuts, nuts
or their by-products, this student will be sent to eat their lunch
in the office or in another room. They can invite a friend to eat
lunch with them. Following are some strategies that parents,
students and staff can use to help keep our school safer for
children with peanut or nut allergies. • Avoid sending foods
from home that may contain nuts or nut products such as
peanut oil, peanut butter, peanut sauce, peanut meal, mixed
nuts, ground nuts and mandalona nuts. Hydrolyzed vegetable
protein may also contain peanuts and is not considered safe
for people with peanut allergies. • Read food labels carefully.
Avoid products that do not carry a list of ingredients. It’s
important to read food labels each time you buy a product that
will be eaten by a child with a nut allergy, or by a child in the
same classroom, because products and production facilities
often change.
• Clean hands and face immediately after
eating peanut butter or nut containing products before
heading off to school or at school; if brought by accident. •
Avoid sharing snacks and drinks. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation in helping to make our school safer for
students with peanut/nut allergies.
Further to this, as part of “Sabrina’s Law”, we are no longer
permitted to allow treats for sharing with other students. On
special occasions (Halloween, Christmas) teachers will advise
students what foods they can bring for their own
consumption. To acknowledge your child’s birthday, if you
would like to send something, items such as pencils or “dollar
store treasures” that are not edible would be appropriate.
Thank you for your consideration and co-operation in making
our classrooms safer for students
JOIN OUR ST. BERNADETTE CATHOLIC
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Next Council Meeting is December 13, 2016
at 6:00 pm.
MEDICATION AT SCHOOL
When parents request that medication be stored at
school, and made available to pupils by school
personnel, the parent is responsible for completing
the Board Storage and Distribution of Medication
form. This form is available from the office and
must be completed by the parent and by the physician. The
completed form is placed on file at the office. Medication is
stored, after consultation with parents, and made available to
students under the supervision of school personnel. To ensure
safety for all children, please do not send medication to school,
unless prior arrangements have been made with the principal.
PEDICULOSIS (Head Lice)
Each year we experience Pediculosis in our school. While
anyone can get head lice, they are most common in schoolaged children. Head lice live on human heads only, not in pet
hair or other animal hair.
Pediculosis is spread only by direct contact with a ‘case’ often
through the sharing of combs and brushes, exchanging of
hats. It is our hope that if you notice your child excessively
scratching their heads that you will be proactive and check
your child’s head. We also recommend that you check the
heads of all family members.
It is our Board’s policy that children who have been infested
with pediculosis are not permitted to return to school until
treatment has been applied and their heads are clean of all lice
and nits (eggs). Children must be checked at the office before
returning to their classrooms.
For more information please contact Peel Public Health at 905
799-7700 or www.peelregion.ca.
REPORTING HEAD INJURIES
Even when it may appear to be insignificant, we inform
parents of ALL head injuries at school which are reported to
us. We do this in recognition of the potential danger of any
injury involving the head area. We are not intending to alarm
you, rather to keep you informed. Please remind your child to
let a staff member know if they bump/injure their head at
school.
VOLUNTEERS IN THE SCHOOL
If you are interested in volunteering at St.
Bernadette School, please leave your name at
our school office and someone will be in touch
with you. Volunteers are expected to have a
current Criminal Reference Check on file at the school office
and must complete an orientation session before working with
students. During the orientation session, the volunteer
coordinator addresses various aspects of volunteering in the
school. All volunteers must sign in at the office and receive
their name tag before proceeding to another part of the school.
The name tag is to be worn and visible until the volunteer signs
out and leaves the school.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
Scholastic book fair is returning to St.
Bernadette. The book fair will begin on
Monday, November 16th and end on the
evening of Thursday, November 19th. We will be hosting a
Family Event Night, where you and your family can enter a
draw to win $25 in book fair merchandise. The family event
night will be on Thursday, November 19th from 3:15 p.m. to 5
p.m. and then will re-open from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you are
interested in making a purchase during the book fair, the
following methods of payments are accepted: cash, Visa,
Mastercard and American Express. Unfortunately, the debit
machine will not be available during this book fair.
If you have a current CRC and are interested in volunteering
for the book fair, please contact Ms. Silveira at the school,
(905) 501-9498.
Book fair dates and times:
Monday, November 16th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, November 17th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, November 19th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The book fair will be closed during all recesses and lunches.
Thank you very much for your continued support!
FIRE DRILLS & LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES
In accordance with Ministry regulations, Fire drills will be
conducted during various times during the school year. While
we hope that a real fire situation never arises, this practice
helps prepare students in the event of a real fire. In addition,
our School Board has established lockdown procedures should
a high risk incident involving weapons occur in the school, or
on school property, that could endanger the lives and/or the
safety of students and/or staff. We will practice the
Emergency Lockdown Procedure with pupils two times during
the school year and review it from time to time.
ECO NEWS
Held on the last Friday in November, Buy Nothing Day
coincides with the start of the Christmas shopping frenzy. This
year, Buy Nothing Day lands on November 27, 2015. It is an
international, informal annual event dedicated to raising
awareness of overconsumption. Participate by not
participating!
North Americans have an over-sized ecological footprint. Just
think of the resources that go into making, shipping,
packaging, and advertising, selling, using, and disposing of all
the things we buy. Buy Nothing Day highlights the
environmental, social, spiritual, economic, and political
aspects of overconsumption, and asks what it is we really want
and need.
Buy Nothing Day (BND) popularizes a commitment to refrain
from purchasing for one day — a full 24 hours — on the last
Friday in November, which is generally the busiest shopping
day of the year in North America.
It is a chance to reflect on the consumption habits of our
society, and can also be an opportunity to take action. At St.
Bernadette school we will be hosting a Book/Magazine Swap
during the week of November 23rd, where students are asked
to bring in gently used books or magazines that they can swap
with a friend. This idea has been taken up as a new way to take
a break from a wasteful consumer culture.
CALENDAR
November 11 Remembrance
Day—whole
school
presentation 10:40 am
November 12 ECO—Waste
Presentation—whole
school
November 13 Book Fair set up—library closed for the
day
November 16 BULLY AWARENESS WEEK
Book Fair Week
SPORTING NEWS
Sports are well on the way here at. St. Bernadette. Teachers
have been working with students interested in Junior
Volleyball and Cross Country.
Cross Country – St. Bernadette had 8 students from grade 4-8
represent us at the Family of Schools Cross Country meet.
Students practiced several times a week to prepare for their
2.1-3.9 km run. Congratulations for accomplishing your goal
and making us proud! Jessica, Selena, Milo, Ashwin,
Bernadine, Vanessa, Robin and Amos.
November 17 Progress
Reports
Reconciliation
Website
November 28th at 10:30 mass Connect to a
_____________________________________________
PROGRESS REPORT INTERVIEW NIGHT
Thursday, November 19, 2015
home
with
students
November 19 Progress Report Interview Evening
November 20 Water Story—presentation for grades 2,
2/3, and 8 ONLY
November 28 First
Reconciliation—10:30
St.Martin of Tours Parish
November
ST. MARTIN OF TOURS PARISH NEWS CORNER
sent
LOOKING AHEAD
December 10
Christmas Evening
Pictures with Santa
am
STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND SUCCESS