Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
ADVENT PRAYER
Loving God, we seek you in both
The light and the darkness,
The silence and the sounds,
The fullness and the emptiness
Of this Advent season.
Principal:
G. Sideroff
Fill our hearts with hope for your coming,
Love for those who are most in need,
And faith in your promises.
May this time of preparation help us
Celebrate the birth of your Son
With deep gratitude and abundant joy.
Vice Principal:
S. Salameh
Secretary:
K. Walsh
C. Egan
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
The Light of the World.
Amen
Superintendent:
M. Vecchiarino
Brampton North -East
(905) 890-1221
Our Virtue for December…… HOPE
Trustee:
S. Xaviour
Parish:
St. Patrick’s Church
(905) 794-0486
Pastor:
Fr. V. Marziliano
This month, we will celebrate the virtue of “Hope”. We believe that God comes
to us as a real human who can show us the way of life. We understand that both
the world and its people are from God and so are essentially good. Furthermore,
God has given us the Advent season in order for us to focus our minds and our
hearts on the good all around us. Year after year, we are reminded that God chose
to send his Son to us because we are worth it.
Father Francis McSpiritt
Catholic School
55 Lexington Road
Brampton, Ontario
L6P 2B1
Telephone: (905) 794-5031
Fax- (905) 794-9542
School Website:
www.dpcdsb.org/mcspi
Twitter @McSpirittDPCDSB
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People of Hope…
keep up a positive attitude
can bounce back from tough situations
set and stick to their goals
see the good in others even when they make mistakes
work to include others
let others know that they are good people
You are kindly invited to join staff, students and Father Vito for our Advent Mass
on Thursday, December 18 @ 10:00 A.M. in the school gym.
Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
A Special Message from Father Vito Dear parents, children, staff and administrations of our parish schools: Blessings upon all of you and your families. We have begun the Season of Advent and a new beginning to our liturgical year. As we know, it is not yet Christmas, but, as a young child mentioned when asked during the 10 a.m. Liturgy on Sunday, November 30, it is a “countdown” to Christmas. I love that expression. What are we “counting down” to? What are we waiting for? Where do we want Jesus to enter our homes, our lives, our world? In our churches and in our schools we sing songs of welcome and joy. We talk about “making room” for Jesus to come and touch our hearts and our lives. May this truly be a time of “joyful expectation”. May the Lord make a difference in our homes, answering all our prayers and responding to all our needs. A Happy and Blessed Advent to all. Fr. Vito. P.S. I wish to express my gratitude to all the parents who have attended the Sacramental Meetings over the past few weeks. Please remember that registrations for First Communion and Confirmation will take place on Sunday, December 7, from 2 to 7 p.m. In the church. Kindly bring a copy of the child’s baptismal certificate when you register. If your child was baptized at St. Patrick’s you do not need to bring with you a copy of the baptismal certificate. At any mass of the following two weekends, Dec. 13/14, and Dec. 20/21, your child will be enrolled and welcomed by the community. At the end of each mass on those two weekends you will receive a special cross for the child. PARENTS WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND ANY OF THE MEETINGS (for either First Communion or Confirmation), another meeting will be held on Saturday, December 13 at 6:15 p.m. Please be present, or send a relative to gather the information necessary as well as the registration form. Thank you for the interest and concern shown for the preparation to the Sacraments, and God bless you. Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
Christmas break is
December 22rd to January 2nd.
The first day back to school in the new year will be
Monday, January 5th, 2015.
Merry Christmas
FROM THE STAFF OF
FATHER FRANCIS MCSPIRITT
CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Primary Christmas Concert
Christmas Food Drive – CRAM THE CRUISER
Here’s your chance to see the primary division shine at our Christmas concert.
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Christmas concert. The presentation will be on: Monday, December 15, at 1:00 pm.
goods into the car with the hopes of filling it up. The items collected from the food drive will be
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Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
Christmas Food Drive / CRAM THE CRUISER
This year, once again, we will be collecting food for the needy families in our community.
Donations will be accepted beginning December 1st and will continue until December 18.
We have the support of our Peel Regional Peel Unit who will be at the school on December 18, in
the afternoon. We will be “Cramming their Cruisers” with all of your donations of non-perishable
items. Charity is the primary response to our call to live as Catholics and provides us an opportunity
for service to others. Your donations will be dropped off at the Knight’s Table. Thank you for all
your donations.
Eco – Team and the Waste Free Lunch Challenge
Our Eco- Team have shared the results of the “Waste Free Challenge”.
Congratulations to all! McSpiritt School has reduced the amount of waste that goes to the garbage
dump.
Before the challenge, the school’s waste weighed 123 lbs. During the challenge, the waste weighed
101 lbs. That is an 18% reduction!
Let’s keep it up and continue to reduce our waste. The Eco-Team will be starting the “Ban the
Bottle” program. Remember to send your child to school with reusable water bottles.
Thank you and continue to keep our school “waste free”.
Intermediate Boy’s Volleyball
On Monday, November 17th, Father Francis McSpiritt School hosted the family of schools minitournament. Congratulations to our boys for their “first place” victory. They played 6 games and
won them all. The boys demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, heart and determination.
On Wednesday, November 26, our boys participated in the Family finals at St. John Bosco School
where they tied for third place. We are very proud of them.
Thanks to their coaches Mr. MacNeil, Mrs. Janeiro and Ms. Anderson for their dedication and
commitment.
Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
Intermediate Girl’s Volleyball
Also on November 17th, our girls competed in the mini-tournament. Thank you to all our girls for
their wonderful efforts and excellent team work. They came in “2nd” overall. Way to go! Your
coaches are very proud. Thanks to their coaches, Mr. MacNeil, Mrs. Janeiro and Ms. Anderson for
commitment and dedication to the team.
Parent Engagement Opportunities
On November 25, our parent community was invited to attend a workshop called “Homework Survival
Skills”.
It was a very informative session. We would like to thank our school Settlement Worker, Sandra Kaldas, and
Mrs. Butera for organizing this very worthwhile event.
YOUTH FAITH AMBASSADORS
The Youth Faith Ambassadors are working toward nurturing Catholic educational spirituality amongst staff and students. The Youth Faith Ambassadors will be demonstrating our Catholic Faith in a variety of ways. They will commit themselves to provide a caring inclusive and Christ‐like school community. They will demonstrate their commitment by being responsible for Virtue assemblies, leading social justice projects for the school, ushering assemblies and other school gathering, and above all, being a positive Catholic role model for our students at Father Francis McSpiritt. Among many other activities, our Youth Faith Ambassadors have organized the Candy Drive for Dr. Simone, are presently planning the Cram the Cruiser Event. They are also planning to visit Leisure World Senior’s Residence with Father Vito, to create Christmas crafts with the elderly. Thank you to Mrs. Bruni, Mrs. Rende and Mrs. Inserra for leading our Youth Faith Ambassadors. “We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20 Our Liturgical Choir, and their choir leaders, Mrs. Scanlon, Mrs. Huber and Mrs. Calderwood, practice throughout the year and support our Liturgical Team with the gift of music. In addition to our school masses, our choir will also participate in the Primary Concert this year. Nutrition Presentations Our Public Health Nurse visited our school on November 19 to speak to the students from grades 1 through 8 about nutrition and healthy eating choices. Please ask your children about it. Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
Appropriate Dress – Cold Weather The days are getting colder as the winter season arrives. We ask that students dress
appropriately; i.e. coats, gloves, mitts, boots etc. If they are dressed warmly, they are
better prepared to participate in outdoor activities during recess and noon hour.
Please be advised that students are kept indoors at recess during the winter ONLY
when the weather conditions are extremely cold (when the wind chill equivalent
temperature is minus 25 degrees Celsius or lower, as per school Board policy).
Inclement Weather
Students dropped off by parents, when transportation is cancelled, must be picked up by parents or have other
arrangements in place for their return trip home. The school cannot give permission for children to be driven home by
someone other than the parent/guardian without parental consent. If the school is closed, a message will be available by
when calling the school at 905-794-5031. You may also go to the website www.stopr.ca for daily cancellations or
delays and / or to the board website.
Indoor Footwear
Please ensure that students keep a pair of running shoes or other appropriate footwear at school so that their feet remain
dry and clean at all times. At certain times of the year areas of our schoolyard can be quite muddy. Having an
additional pair of shoes at school assists us in keeping mud and dirt out of the classroom.
Emergency Procedures
We have a detailed fire/emergency evacuation policy. We will be practicing
evacuation procedures 3 times during the fall and 3 times during the spring.
In addition, we will be reviewing and practicing “Lock Down” procedures.
Students are reminded that they must wear shoes in the school building at all
times. If the fire alarm is activated, students are not permitted to stop to put
on shoes, coats etc. Safety is the first priority.
PED Policy - Personal Electronic Devices ( PEDS) on School Property
As part of our efforts to promote and maintain a positive “Catholic School Climate”, the Board is
developing an updated comprehensive policy regarding the use of PEDS on school premises.
Until updated policies are in place, we will continue to expect appropriate and responsible use of
all electronic devices. While these devices can be powerful educational tools, we will continue to
expect that communication during school time will not involve taking pictures, texting or
phoning.
If you need to speak to your child during school hours, please contact the office and we will get
your message to your child as soon as possible. Similarly, if your child should happen to need to
contact you for important reasons, they will be asked to use the phone in the office.
Please review the above- mentioned procedures with your child(ren).
Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
By-Law Enforcement –The front driveway is a fire route - signs are posted.
The fire route at the front of the school is enforced by the City by‐law officers. There is no parking in the front driveway of the school. The City officer has already ticketed cars when dropping off or picking up children. Please park your car on the road or in the parking lot at the side of the school. When running late, please park your car on the road. The front of the school is for school busses only. LOST AND FOUND Our lost and found bin is overflowing. If your child is missing any personal items, please encourage them to come down to the main foyer and take a look through the bin. You are also more than welcome to come by as well. Parent Evening to Support the Transition of Students with Differing Abilities
into Kindergarten
There will be an information session for parents (s)/guardian (s) of children with differing abilities
including vision, speech, hearing, autism, physical / medical and / or developmental delays who are
transitioning to Kindergarten in September 2015. The sessions will be held at the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board – Room 301- on Thursday, January 8, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 8:30
PM. The snow date is Tuesday, January 13, 2015.
Parents are reminded to register their child at our school office. Registration dates are Monday,
January 26th, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, as well as January 28, 29 and 30 during the day.
Snow date for evening registration is Tuesday, January 27, 2015.
**Please take note that there have been changes to the number of required documents to show proof
of address. Please refer to school website at www.dpcdsb.org/MCSPI.
Lates
Volunteers
Supervision begins at 8:30 am in the school
yard. Ensure your child(ren) are at school
on time. Please use the Kiss and Ride
drop-off on the west side of the school.
Students
should go directly to their lines to
be met by their teachers. Students should
not be entering via the front door of the
school.
Let your child know it is important
to be on time.
Volunteers play an important part in the life of any
school community. At the school level, they help to
enhance the learning opportunities available to students.
They can make a difference in the academic life of a
student. We always appreciate your assistance, support
and the sharing of your many gifts and talents with our
staff and students. Volunteer forms are available in the
office. Note: A current Criminal Reference Check must
be completed by Peel Regional Police. The application
may be picked up at the school office.
Father Francis McSpiritt December Newsletter 2014
Dates to Remember
December 1
December 3
December 8
December 15
December 15
December 16
December 17
December 18
December 18
December 22 – January 2
January 5 - 2015
January 14 & 28
January 14
January 19
January 20 & 21
February 3
February 5
February 6
March 16 – March 20
Pizza Day
School Council Meeting @ 6:30
Cookie Day with Santa (provided by school council)
Pizza Day
Primary Christmas Concert – 1:00 PM
Grade 2 trip to Casa Loma
Volleyball game with Peel Police in support of Sharelife - AM
Advent Mass @ 10:00 AM with Father Vito
Cram the Cruiser with Peel Police - PM
Christmas Break
Welcome Back
Peel Regional Police – Internet Safety workshops for students
Extended French Meeting for Grade 4 students at St. John
Brebeuf @ 7 PM
NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS – Assessment & Evaluation
Bullying Resistance program-Grades 1 to 8
Report Cards Sent Home
Reporting to parents - evening
Reporting to parents – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
March Break
Our School Council has organized pizza days for our students on a weekly basis beginning in January. The next cycle begins in January and ends at the end of April. Thank you to all parents who volunteered to help. Pizza Days will be on: January 12, 26 February 2, 9, 23 March 2, 9, 23, 30 April 13, 20, 27 “Just Catering for Kids” will continue to provide our students with hot lunches on a weekly basis (Fridays). Ordering can be done online or sent into the office. Please remember that when buses are cancelled… so are pizza and hot lunch days.