The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
56 Oaklea Blvd, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 4W7
Phone: 905-455-1001
Principal: W. Bodsworth
Secretary: A. Mijandrusic
Fax: 905-455-3406
Superintendent: L. Kazimowicz
905-890-0708
Trustee: A. Da Silva 905-459-7089
Parish: St. Jerome Church
Pastor: Fr. Jan Kolodynski
905-455-4260
NEWSLETTER #4
December 2010
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
During this Advent season our thoughts turn to
preparing for concerts, family celebrations, gift
exchanges and festive meals. We wait in joyful
anticipation for the celebration of the birth of
Jesus –a memorial that each of us experiences
anew at Christmastime, as we reflect on the
awesome mystery of God becoming one of us. When
we think of the fragility and innocence of a
helpless baby, we are reminded that God chose
to enter the world as an infant; and later, as an
adult, this same Jesus exhorted his companions
to “let the little children come to me.”
It is often said that “Christmas is for children.”
Surely, the image of baby Jesus is a poignant
reminder of the dignity of all children, who are
created in the image of God. This season, as we
re-tell the powerful Christmas story in our
homes and classrooms, may we, as adults, rediscover the face of Christ in each and every
child entrusted to our care. And, as we sing,
pray, and celebrate, may we do so with grateful
hearts.
Together, we thank God for the
privileged gift of Catholic Education that
challenges home, school and parish to work
hand-in-hand to nourish a living faith in our
young people. With one voice and in one heart
we rejoice, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!”
Advent Prayer
God of starlight promise,
Shine in our hearts.
Bring warmth to rid us of coldness,
Bring truth to dispel deception,
Bring wisdom to reign over rashness.
This Advent,
May our hopeful hearts be
places that are fit to celebrate the birth
of sacred love anew.
We make this prayer in the name of Jesus,
Newborn Child of Hope.
Amen
FOCUS ON FAITH
Virtue of Hope
The theme for the month of December is: Virtue
of Hope.
People of Hope:
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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
As people of hope, we come together in
anticipation of the good things that life has in
store for those who love and serve the Lord.
St. Jerome Church Christmas Schedule
We are reminded that Catholics the world over
are obliged to attend Mass either on Christmas
Eve (Thursday, December 24th) or Christmas
Day (Friday, December 25th) for the Solemnity of
Christ’s Birth. Catholics are also obliged to
attend Mass on the following Sunday, December
26th, and either on New Year’s Eve (Friday,
December 31), or on New Year’s Day (Saturday,
Jan. 1st, 2011), for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother
of God. See enclosed schedule of mass times.
Advent Mass
Pauline
Vanier
School
will
celebrate its Advent Mass on
Wednesday, December 8th at 9:00
a.m. We are thrilled that the date
coincides with the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception, in honour of the sanctity of Mother
Mary. Father Jan will celebrate mass with us, as
we prayerfully anticipate the outpouring of
grace that is ours at Christmastime. We would
like to extend our appreciation to the Primary
Division teachers, the School Choir, Mrs.
Muzzatti, Ms. Tac and Mr. Gutt, for preparing
the children to lead us in prayer and song. We
look forward to many parents joining us for this
celebration of faith.
Christmas Giving Initiative
Pauline Vanier School is happy
to announce that we are once
again involved in a wide range
of Christmas Giving Initiatives. This year we
are asking families to donate to one or more of
the following projects:
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Mitten Tree - Donations of hats, gloves,
mittens and toques will be hung on the tree
in the school foyer, to be donated to needy
families in the community.
Gifts from the Heart - Under the auspices
of the Catholic organization “Chalice,” we
are raising funds to buy goats, chickens,
etc. for villages in developing countries.
Any donation will be gratefully received
and acknowledged with a signature heart
on the Gifts from the Heart bulletin board.
Stamping out Leprosy - Families are
encouraged to save used stamps (cutting a
wide margin around the stamp) to be sold
for the purchase of medicine to eradicate
leprosy.
Christmas Shoebox Campaign - Families
are invited to send in personal care items
and school supplies to the child’s
classroom, where decorated shoe boxes
will be filled for boys and girls around the
world. These boxes will be delivered to Dr.
Simone’s warehouse where they will be
shipped to impoverished areas of the
world.
We are encouraging all families to have ongoing conversations with their children about
how to participate in these various charity
drives. These opportunities teach our young
students in a concrete way about the importance
of social outreach as part of our Catholic
Christian responsibility. Please accept our
sincere gratitude for your support.
In the words of Mother Teresa, “We can do no great
things, only small things with great love.”
CONSCIENCE
Last month we celebrated the virtue of
conscience. At the end of November, we asked
our students to tell us what conscience means
to them. Here are highlights of reflections that
some students shared with us.
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Conscience is a guide somewhere in
your mind (Gr. 8).
God is on your shoulder helping you
make a choice. You make the final
decision (Gr. 8).
Conscience is your ability to tell the
difference between right and wrong.
Everyone should have a conscience but
not everyone listens to it (Gr. 8).
Primary Christmas Concert-December 9th
Conscience is to say sorry or to keep
promises (Gr. 3).
Conscience is to forgive people and
always say sorry (Gr. 3).
Conscience is when your friend tells you
a secret and you don’t tell anybody (Gr.
3).
Conscience means you should think
before you say something and do
something (Gr. 6).
Don’t treat people badly, and, if you do,
always say sorry and mean it (Gr. 6).
Conscience means choosing right from
wrong at the hardest time (Gr.6).
Conscience means think before you act.
Basically doing right, not wrong. (Gr. 5)
Conscience is when you are faced with
an important decision and you must act
in a way that God would want you to
act (Gr. 8).
When you have a conscience there is
never lose-lose situations, only win-win
situations (Gr. 8).
Conscience means listening to the good
side of your brain (Gr. 8).
Conscience is like having a devil side
and an angel side…when you do the
right thing then you’ll be happier
because you’ll have no regrets and you
know you did something good (Gr. 8).
I think conscience is choosing the right
thing rather than what may be easier for
you (Gr. 8).
Conscience is when you do something
wrong and then in your heart you feel
bad for what you do, so you own up to
it (Gr. 8)
Please join us in celebrating this joyous season
of Advent at our upcoming Christmas concert.
The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. We urge all
families to attend. The children and their
teachers have been rehearsing for weeks and
look forward to performing for you!
SCHOOL SAFETY
Visitors in the School
All visitors to the school, including parents and
former students, must check
in at the Main Office before
proceeding to any other area
of the school. If you are
dropping off a lunch to
school, we request that you leave it on the table
in the foyer with your child’s name on it. If you
are picking up your child at school, we ask that
you report to the office if the pick-up is during
the school day. If it is a regular dismissal, please
wait outside the appropriate exit doors of the
building to avoid disruption of classroom
routines. Cooperation in following these
routines helps ensure our students’ safety.
Medication at School
Please be advised that for safety
reasons, no child should bring any
form of medication to school without
prior approval from the office. The
school
will
store
necessary
medication providing that a Request Form has
been filled out and signed by the
parent/guardian and your family physician.
Forms are available in the office.
It’s Flu Season
We would like to remind
parents of the need to have
network of support to care for
children, especially in cases of
mid-day illness. Peel Health
repeatedly recommends that the best practice to
prevent the spread of viruses is:
 Wash hands with soap and water
thoroughly and often
 Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or tissue
 Stay home if you are sick
When children become sick during the course of
the school day, a plan needs to be in place to
care for the child. As with all medical issues, we
continue to take direction from Peel Health on
how to best respond to community illness.
Winter Weather Requests
At times we receive requests to allow students
to stay indoors when they have a cold, flu, etc.
Unfortunately, we are unable to comply with
this request since we do not have adequate staff
or facilities to supervise these students. If a
child is too ill to go outside for recess we request
that they remain home until
they are healthy enough to
join in the regular activities of
the school. Please be advised
that on extremely cold days,
when
the
wind-chill
equivalent temperature is minus 20 degrees
Celsius or lower, students will stay indoors, as
per Peel Health Department guidelines.
Indoor Shoes
The muddy weather is definitely upon us, and
to keep our school clean, an extra pair of “indoor
shoes” would help immensely. Many students
are still without an extra pair of shoes at school.
We thank you for your cooperation in this
matter.
Weather Conditions
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 several radio and television
stations.
Bus Cancellations
New for 2010—in addition to listening to the
radio, you may also go to the web-site
www.stopr.ca for daily bus cancellations or
delays.
Change of Clothing
With the cold and wet weather come
wet socks, pants, mitts and gloves.
We encourage parents to send an
extra pair of socks, pants, mitts and toques,
especially for the younger children. If they do
get wet, they will have a change of clothing and
we will not need to interrupt your work
schedule by asking you to bring a change of
clothing to school.
Dressing for the weather
As the colder weather approaches, we
ask that you dress your child
appropriately for the weather. It is
easier to layer and then remove items of
outer wear than not having sufficient outdoor
clothing. We encourage you to speak to your
child about the merits of “bundling up” before
going outside. Often our students will bring a
coat to school but will not wear it outside. With
40 minutes of play mid-day, and two 15 minute
recesses, it is important for children to be
dressed according to the weather.
Winter Safety in the School Yard
In order to avoid injury and to
help ensure student safety,
students
are
frequently
reminded over the PA, and by
their classroom teachers, to
play safely in the school yard. Students are
advised of the board regulation not to throw
snowballs, or kick snow, as well, to stay off
snow hills and off any ice patches. Play fighting
and contact sports are not permitted. Students
are reminded to report problems to the teacher
on duty, rather than taking matters into their
own hands. Please review with your child the
importance of playing safely in the school yard.
School Hours
Supervision in the school yard does not start
until 8:15 a.m. Please do not drop off
your children before that time. The
school office is open between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m.
Anaphylaxis
As outlined in past newsletters,
Pauline Vanier School is an
allergen aware school. Some of our
students suffer from severe and life
threatening allergies to food products
containing traces of peanut/nut products as well
as other allergens. Exposure to these items can
cause severe and sometimes life-threatening
reactions. With Christmas parties just around
the corner, many of our students are planning to
bring treats to school celebrate with their
classmates. Please assist us in maintaining a
safe environment for all students by making
sure that your child’s lunch or snacks DO NOT
contain nuts or traces of nut products. For
birthdays and other special events you may
wish to consider sending non-food treats such as
stickers or pencils or individually wrapped and
labeled
commercial
products
that
are
guaranteed to be nut free.
CURRICULUM MATTERS
carefully selects and introduces new books
chosen to match the instructional levels of
individual students.
Readers are carefully
prepared when being introduced to a new text,
and various teaching points are made during
and after reading.
Guided reading fosters
comprehension skills and strategies, develops
background knowledge and oral language skills,
and provides as much instructional-level
reading as possible.
During guided reading,
students
are
given
exposure to a wide
variety of texts and are
challenged to select from
a growing repertoire of strategies that allow
them to tackle new texts more independently.
Ongoing observation and assessment help to
inform instruction and grouping of students is
flexible and may be changed often. While the
teacher is working with this small guided
reading group, the rest of the class is generally
reading independently from texts at each child’s
“just right” level of reading.
Homework Helper
There are many things that parents can do to
enhance student learning.
Some of these
strategies take very little time but require a
“shift in thinking” to capitalize on teachable
moments or reinforce good work habits.
For younger students
1. Your youngster can practice grouping
objects by choosing a theme and cutting out
related photos from magazines. If the category
is furniture, for example, he would group them
into couches, tables and beds.
What is Guided Reading?
You may have heard your child’s teacher talk
about placing your child in a particular
guided-reading group.
Have you ever
wondered what this means?
Guided reading is an instructional reading
strategy during which a teacher works with
small groups of students who have similar
reading processes and needs.
The teacher
2. Good readers form mental pictures as
they
read.
To
improve
your
child’s
comprehension, read a book without letting him
see it. Then, ask her to predict what the
illustrations look like. Examples: How are the
characters dressed? Help your child study
effectively with these tips.
For older students
1.
When your child has a chapter test to
study, have her “preview” it to increase her
understanding. She should
glance over headings, graphics
and photos and go to the
glossary to look up boldfaced
words. If he finds a section
hard to grasp, he could read a
picture book on the topic.
Encourage older students to “chunk” test
preparation by reviewing a small portion each
evening.
CATHOLIC RATEPAYERS
Check Tax Bill to Ensure Proper Tax Support
If you are a Catholic ratepayer, we urge you to
check your property tax bill to ensure that your
education support is directed to your local
Catholic school board, in our case, the DufferinPeel Catholic District School Board. If you are a
tenant, you can verify your support by
contacting our Admissions Department at (905)
890-0708, ext. 24511, 24512, or 24519, or your
local municipal office. By ensuring that you are
accurately recorded as a Catholic school
supporter, you can help deliver a powerful
message to the government about the level of
support
for
publically-funded
Catholic
education in Ontario.
BACKGROUND HISTORY TO
CATHOLIC EDUCATION
1. What guarantee for separate schools
does the Canadian Constitution still
contain?
In 1867 the Fathers of
Confederation made Section
93(1) part of the Constitution.
It states: ‘Nothing in any such
(provincial legislative) Law
shall prejudicially affect any
Right
or
Privilege
with
respect
to
Denominational Schools which any Class of
Person (i.e. separate school supporters) have by
Law in the Province at the Union.
2. Exactly what separate school rights does
Section 93(1) guarantee?
Section 93(1) protects all the provisions of the
last separate school legislation passed before
Confederation, the Separate School (Scott) Act of
1863. Among others, the Act provided the
following rights:
 To form a separate school board with
five or more Catholic heads of family
resident in a public school jurisdiction;
 To receive government grants equitable
with those of the public school system;
1
 To receive equitable funding;
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To have separate school boundaries
enlarged;
To elect separate school trustees with all
the powers of public school trustees.
3. Once Section 93(1) was enacted, why did
Ontario’s separate supporters continue to
suffer financial hardship?
The Separate School (Scott) Act of 1863 did not
anticipate the creation or growth of corporations
and public utilities in Ontario, or the creation of
public high school. These two omissions caused
over 100 years of financial hardship and
inequity for separate school supporters.
Phone Calls during school time
The office often gets requests from students to
make phone calls home to ask
parents to bring forgotten items
such as running shoes, agendas
or textbooks/homework. We are
reinforcing with students that is
their responsibility to bring all
necessary items to school and to
arrange in advance for their out-of-school
activities. Unless the situation is an urgent
matter, phone calls due to lack of organization
and planning will be discouraged. It is our
intention to work very hard to minimize
unnecessary interruptions to classes. Staff and
students are reminded of the board policy
prohibiting the use of cell phones in the school.
Signs stating “no cell phones to be visible in the
school” have been posted throughout the school.
Financial Requests
Share Life
Most school-based activities are free of charge.
However, from time to time the monetary
request for trips and other items may cause
financial strain for some families. At the same
time, other opportunities at school such Pizza or
Popcorn Days are voluntary and your discretion
is required. However, please know that no child
is ever held back from a school trip or classroom
based activity/program for financial reasons. If
you require assistance with classroom- based
activities please speak to Mrs. Bodsworth in
confidence and arrangements can be made.
Mrs. Vigneault, our Share Life Co-coordinator,
reports that Hat Day and Gum Day raised $200
for Share Life.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM STAFF
Junior Girls Volleyball
The Pauline Vanier Junior Volleyball Team
displayed true teamwork and sportsmanship at
their tournament in November. They all played
their best and had a great time. Way to go girls!
Winter Wonderland Postcard
Miss Lum and Mrs. Stott would like to thank the
Winter Wonderland Postcard team for their
hard work and dedication. Thank you to
Samantha and Pauline in Mr. Monachino’s class,
Shanisha and Alyssa in Mr. Daniel’s class and
Bete in Mr. Connelly’s class. You did a fabulous
job and represented our school with pride. The
Winter Wonderland Postcard can be seen on
display at Chinguacousy Park from December to
mid-January near the barns.
Message from the Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is a huge success thanks to
all the teachers (Mme. Byrne, Mrs. Mayer, Mrs.
Stott, Mrs. DeSouza, Ms. Grasman and Mrs.
Vigneault) and parents (Mrs. Reyes, Mrs.
Brohart, Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Cacic and Mrs.
Virostek) who generously volunteer their time.
The Breakfast Club is funded by the Boys and
Girls Club of Canada and The Breakfast Club of
Canada. Students are provided with a nutritious
breakfast as well as healthy conversation that
allow students to begin their day of learning on
a positive note.
Woodworking Technology Club
Under the direction of Mr. Gutt, Grade 7 and 8
students are building projects using hand tools.
Projects include a solar-powered car, an
animated toy dragon, a working tower crane, a
hovercraft and motorized truck.
Lego Technology Club
Mr. Gutt is also working at lunchtime with the
Grades 4, 5 and 6 students who are building
projects using gears, pulleys and construction
sets.
The projects include a Ferris wheel,
windshield wipers that work and racing cars.
Robotics Club
With Mr. Gutt’s guidance, a group of Grades 4, 5
and 6 students is focusing on developing a
working programmable rover.
Youth Faith Ambassadors
Thanks to Ms. Tac’s supervision, The Youth
Faith Ambassadors at Pauline Vanier have been
working very hard to coordinate many
spectacular events during the Advent Season.
With a food drive, coat drive, the campaign
“Stamping out Leprosy”, Christmas Shoeboxes
for Dr. Simone, and the Chalice campaign “Gifts
from the Heart”, in which students donate
whatever they can to buy a goat for a family in
need, the Youth Faith Ambassadors are finding
themselves very busy! These young people are
truly an image of the real meaning of this
season. Keep up the good work!
Holland Christian Home
During November, Mr. Pavic’s class visited a
seniors’ residence, Holland Christian Home.
The class played bingo and visited with the
seniors. The aim of the trip is to experience
awareness of others and life as a gift (Fully Alive
Program).
Thanks to Mrs. Brohart for
accompanying the class on the trip. The class
will return in December to sing their concert
song and share a creative writing story.
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Remembrance Day Trip
On Remembrance Day, Mr. Pavic’s Grade 4/5
class,
after
experiencing
an
emotional
Remembrance Day service at school, visited a
neighbourhood memorial to our fallen soldiers
from the Korean War. The children placed their
poppies on the war memorial plaque. They also
viewed the sculpture dedicated to war heroes.
A special thank you to Mrs. Liem whose
attendance made the trip possible.
Casual Fridays
You may observe that staff may dress in a casual
manner on Fridays. Through donations made
on these Fridays, we support the board’s Share
Life Campaign.
WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS
A final
note from the Principal
During the busy holiday season it is easy to get
so caught up in the preparations and festivities
that we forget to take time to reflect and give
thanks. I would like to take the opportunity to
give thanks:
 to our trustee Anna Da Silva and our
Superintendent Liz Kazimowicz for
their on-going guidance and support;
 to all families who so generously
contributed to the “Cram the Cruiser”
Food Drive. Our school filled two
police cruisers with a wonderful
selection of non-perishable foods, coats,
hats, and gloves to be dropped off at St.
Louise Outreach to feed and clothe the
needy in our community;
 to our local police officers who
demonstrated that they truly are our
“community
helpers”
by
their
leadership in organizing the food drive.
 to Father Jan for sharing the sacraments
and the Good News with our students;
 to our dedicated staff who give of
themselves daily by enthusiastic

participation in in-services and extracurricular activities;
to our parents/students and staff for
their support and generosity; and
to our parent volunteers who support
student learning and school activities.
As Christmas rapidly approaches, it is our
hope that the true meaning of Christmas
will be reflected in our attitudes and actions
at home, work and school.
On behalf of the staff at Pauline Vanier
School, I would like to extend to all
members of our community, my wishes for
an Advent Season filled with the peace and
joy of Christ. May God bless you and your
family during this special season.
Wendy Bodsworth, Principal
DATES TO REMEMBER
December
Dec. 8 Advent Mass
Dec. 9 Christmas Concert
Dec. 17 Last day of school
December 1st to mid-January: “Signs of Winter”
postcard display at Chinguacousy Park
Christmas Break
Christmas Break will begin on Monday,
December 20th, 2010. The last day of school will
be Friday, December 17th, 2010. School will
commence in the New Year on Monday, January
3rd, 2011.
January
Jan. 3 Welcome Back
Jan. 14 P.A. Day—No classes for students
February
Feb. 1 Report Cards go home
Feb. 3 Interview Night
Feb. 4 P.A. Day-Reporting for Parents
Feb. 7 evening-Kindergarten Registration
Feb.9-11 daytime-Kindergarten Registration