The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
56 Oaklea Blvd, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 4W7
Phone: 905-455-1001
Principal: W. Bodsworth
Secretary: A. Mijandrusic
St. Jerome Church 905-455-4260
Pastor: Fr. Jan Kolodynski
NEWSLETTER #6
PRAYER FOR THE VIRTUE
OF RESPECT
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating
us and the world around us.
Among your greatest gifts are our friends and
acquaintances.
They are the yeast in the dough of life – they
make life lively and interesting.
We come to you now asking for the grace and
strength to keep a sense of respect.
We hope that by recognizing and honouring the
shared Spirit in everyone we meet, we can
contribute to making our school a safer, more
caring, and more inclusive community.
May your gift of respect help us to live each day
with the confidence that we are in company of
people who are not strangers, but who are our
spiritual brothers and sisters.
We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother, who
lived to show us your way.
Amen.
Fax: 905-455-3406
Superintendent: L. Kazimowicz 905-361-0146
Trustee:
A. DaSilva 905-890-0708
February 2011
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
The Catholic Church dedicates each month of
the year to a particular devotion. In February,
it is the Holy Family, the perfect example of
family life for all Christians. This month we
meditate on the example of the Holy Family
and ask the Holy Family to intercede on
behalf of our families. It is no coincidence
that Catholic schools also focus on the
development of the virtue of Respect during
the month of February. What better place to
learn the true meaning of RESPECT than in
our own families! It is at the knees of our
mothers and fathers that we learn powerful
lessons about listening to others, sharing,
taking turns and helping those in need. The
safe haven of home is also where we learn
that we cannot truly love others until we love
and respect ourselves. The school is no
substitute for the blessing of a nurturing,
faith-filled and well-disciplined home.
However, the Catholic school can explicitly
teach biblical values and Catholic morals
while providing many opportunities for
students to strive to cultivate their personal
gifts, talents and virtues. With report cards
and interviews behind us, let us celebrate not
only our children’s academic successes, but
also the many ways in which they are
growing in faith and virtue.
Wendy Bodsworth
FAITH
FEBRUARY’s Virtue
~Respect
This month we will celebrate the
virtue of respect.
God has given us the virtues of friends and
companions to keep us company and to
help us out along the way.
Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of
God – and so every person is our brother or
sister through Jesus Christ.
As brothers and sister who share one Holy
Spirit, we are all valuable to God. We all
deserve to be shown consideration,
courtesy, sensitivity and thoughtfulness,
which are different ways of saying respect.
That respect should come first and
foremost from ourselves. We have to
respect ourselves and then we will be able
to respect others. We should also be able to
expect to be treated with respect by
everyone we meet – our brothers and
sisters in Jesus.
Through prayer and concentration, we can
get better at respecting ourselves as well as
respecting those around us.
A respectful person…
Treats himself/herself and everyone
else with equal consideration and
courtesy
Uses a positive tone of voice and body
language
Avoids swearing, name-calling, putdowns, and inappropriate gestures
Says ‘Excuse me’, ‘Please’, ‘Pardon me’
Avoids gossip
Our Catholic School Heritage
Question: Once section 93(1) was enacted,
why did Ontario’s separate school supporters
continue to suffer financial hardship?
The Separate School (Scott) Act of 1863 did not
anticipate the creation and/or growth of
corporations and public utilities in Ontario, or
the creation of public high schools. These two
omissions caused over 100 years of financial
hardship and inequity for separate school
supporters.
Question: Why did Catholic parents and
students have to pay tuition to attend a
Catholic high school after grade ten?
In 1871 the Ontario government passed an Act
to Improve the Common Schools and Grammar
Schools of Ontario. This Act abolished common
and grammar schools and created public
schools for Grades 1 to 10 and high schools for
grades 9 to 13. The highest official with the
Department of Education, Egerton Ryerson,
commented that the 1871 Act did not affect
separate schools. The separate school boards
operating secondary school classes carried on,
receiving funding from grants and taxes.
However, early in the twentieth century the
government passed legislation which forbade a
separate school board from offering education
beyond Grade 10 if its boundaries fell partially
of fully within the boundaries of a high school
district. Thus, all but one separate school board
(in Dublin) lost their ability to receive tax or
government grant financing beyond Grade 10.
Furthermore, if a separate school board chose
to continue operating Grades 9 and 10, it
received only elementary school grants for
them.
GOOD-BYE AND HELLO
Farewell
A special thank you and fond farewell goes out
to Eunice Myrie who will be transferring from
Pauline Vanier on February 11th. Eunice has
been a devoted Educational Resource Worker
at our school for a number of years, working to
support special needs children in our school.
She will continue to serve the board in her new
responsibilities at St. Julia School. We wish
Eunice well.
Welcome
We welcome Mrs. Shirley Hurst who will be
taking over from Ms. Myrie as the Educational
Resource Worker working with our special
services team and serving the needs of our
exceptional children at Pauline Vanier.
Welcome Shirley.
Breakfast Club Open to All
Newcomers to our school community will be
interested in the benefits of joining our school’s
Breakfast Club.
Thanks to sponsorship from the
Boys and Girls Club and
Breakfast Clubs of Canada our
school breakfast club provides
many children with a nutritious breakfast every
morning and a recess snack to carry with them.
If you would like your child to participate in this
program, please phone the school office and we
will arrange for a permission form to be sent
home with your child. The Breakfast Club runs
each morning from 8:15 to 8:30.
All students are welcome to join. There are no
stipulations, other than a desire to ensure that
your child has a healthy breakfast to start the
day! Thank you to the many staff and parents
who have volunteered to assist with the
Breakfast Club. A special thanks to Mrs. Maria
DeSouza for her devoted leadership at the
Breakfast Club.
PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration is happening all this
week. We began our 2011 Registration with a
large number of visitors on Monday evening
February 7th. Registrations continue during
the day on February 9th, 10th, and 11th, from
9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-3:00 p.m. To register
your child, you will require the following:
• proof of child’s birth and age
• Catholic baptismal certificate for child or
parent
• immunization records for your child
• landed immigrant papers, if not a Canadian
citizen
• proof of address
P.L.A.S.P. day care and before/after school care
are available on-location at our school.
Special Needs Children
Parents of students with special needs or
learning exceptionalities are asked to make this
fact know at the time of kindergarten
registration.
Early notification will ensure
adequate supports and interventions.
“Welcome to Kindergarten” Night
Parents and newly registered kindergarten
students for the 2011-2012 school year will be
invited to attend a “Welcome to Kindergarten”
evening on May 12th. At that time, families will
participate in a variety of fun activities and will
receive a gift bag of resources to help their child
successfully transition to life at school.
Grade 1 FRENCH IMMERSION
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
offers the French Immersion Program starting in
Grade 1 at six school sites. Students registered
in this program will spend 90% of their day
learning in the French language. All subjects and
activities in the French Immersion classroom,
with the exception of Religion and Family Life,
will be delivered in French. In Grades 2 and 3,
70% of the instruction will be in French, with
the proportion of English increasing to 50% in
later years.
St. Joachim Location
Senior Kindergarten parents/guardians who
wish to enroll their child in a Grade 1 French
Immersion class at St. Joachim School for
September, 2011 must submit an application by
2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 9th, 2011. The
location of St. Joachim is:
St. Joachim
435 Rutherford Road North
Brampton, Ontario
L6V 3V9
Three New Sites
Please be advised that three (3) new
(additional) sites for Grade 1 French Immersion
have been added for September 2011.
Information sessions about these sites will be
held on the following dates:
St Pio of Pietrelcina-Tuesday, Feb. 22 7:00 p.m.
St. Peter-Wednesday, Feb. 23 7:00 p.m.
St. Elizabeth Seaton-Thursday, Feb. 24 7:00 p.m.
Deadline for submission of applications to
these new sites is Friday, March 11, 2011 @
2:00 p.m.
Grade 5 EXTENDED FRENCH
check out the board’s web-site for detailed
information at: www.dpcdsb.org.
Students in Grades 1-8 have recently enjoyed
fabulous presentations by Loretta Penny to kick
off Black History Month. Grades 1-4 were
enchanted with the wildlife safari slides in the
presentation entitled “The Land and People of
Kenya,” and Grades 4-8 were riveted by tales of
slavery and the underground railroad in the
presentation “Black History:
An Ancestral
Journal.” Thanks to School Council for funding
this wonderful educational program and to Ms.
Henry for organizing the day for us.
At Pauline Vanier School many of our classes
will be researching, writing and speaking about
inspirational black musicians, writers, athletes
and politicians who have contributed to a more
inclusive and compassionate world.
The Extended French Program starts in Grade 5.
In the program, 50% of the total instruction is in
French. Grade 4 parents/guardians, who wish to
enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French
class for September, 2011 are invited to submit
applications to St. Monica School at this
location.
St. Monica
60 Sterritt Drive
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 5B6
Applications will be accepted until 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011.
February is Psychology Month
Student Agendas
Attendance Verification
Please check your child’s agenda daily, as this is
a very effective tool for communication and
tracking of work. This helps students to
develop
skills
in
organization,
time
management and goal setting, helping them to
meet with more success.
Please notify the school at 905-455-1001,
before 8:30 a.m., if your child is going to be
late or absent. Pauline Vanier’s answering
machine is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Notifying the school will save Mrs.
Mijandrusic, our school secretary, many hours
of phone calls to verify absences.
Black History Month
Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools have a long
tradition of celebrating Black History Month
with special events and activities held
throughout the month of February. Please
STUDENT INFORMATION
Contact Information
It is critical that we have up-to-date
records of your address, phone
numbers, and emergency contacts
in the event that the school must
contact you regarding your child. If there have
been any changes, please contact the school
office immediately.
Please note that daily attendance at school for
students between ages six and eighteen years is
the law. School social workers are mandated to
intervene with students and their families
whenever students are identified as truant.
Late Students
Student Illness
Punctuality is important. Please ensure that
your children arrive at school no later than
8:25 a.m. The constant parade of late arrivals
between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. is delaying morning
exercises and interrupting the smooth start of
morning lessons. Children who arrive late are
often out-of-sorts and have a hard time settling
in to their day. Their time to socialize and greet
their peers is lost in their hurried entry into the
classroom. Many start-up instructions have to
be repeated for those students arriving late.
Students who come to school are expected to
be healthy enough to participate in daily
activities, including physical education and
outdoor recess. Should your child(ren) not feel
well enough to participate in all facets of the
school program, please keep them at home an
extra day or two so they can fully recuperate.
Please be aware that there is no facility to care
for sick children at the school.
A student who is late must obtain a late slip
from the office. This late slip procedure is an
important link in our safe entry protocol. When
a child is alerted to the office as absent, the
secretary cross-references students who have
entered late before making calls home to
confirm a child reported as absent.
Are you cleaning out your closets of old clothing
and fabric? Please hold on to anything you
want to give away. The school will be running a
used clothing / textile drive in the early spring
and will receive money based on the weight of
materials and clothing collected. BAG2SCHOOL
will collect any clean clothing that is in
reasonable condition, bedding, drapes, soft
toys, shoes (tied together), belts and purses.
More details will follow closer to the date.
Sign-In/Sign-out Book in Office
All visitors to the school, including parents,
caregivers,
community
agencies
and
tradespersons, must sign in at the office and
obtain a visitor’s sticker.
Students and staff
feel safer when a visitor’s sticker is visible. It is
also important for the safety of all students in
the school that students who are picked up
early by parents, or arrive later in the day, sign
in and out at the office.
Web-page Permission Forms
Please return the school web-page permission
forms a.s.a.p. so that we can begin to post
photos of events.
Newsletter Format –What is your preference?
If you would like the newsletter e-mailed
directly to you, please provide us with your email address. If you prefer a hard copy please
let us know as well. Forms have already gone
home asking you to state your preference.
Thanks to the many families who have already
returned these forms.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Clothing Drive
Magazine Subscription Customer Service
If you are having questions or problems with
your magazine subscriptions ordered through
the school please direct your inquiries to the
Customer Service line at 1-800-667-2536.
Next Meeting
School Council will meet again on Wednesday,
February 9th @ 6:30 p.m. in the library. Please
join us!
WINTER WEATHER
Staying in for Recess
Health Officials indicate that fresh air is good
for children, not harmful, as long as students
are dressed appropriately. We follow guidelines
from the Health Department which help us
make a decision as to whether it is too cold for
students to go outdoors: A wind chill factor of 22 C is a modified day; -25 C students stay in
all day. During modified school days students
will be outdoors for both morning and
afternoon recesses (15 minutes) and for a
maximum of 20 minutes at lunch recess. Please
make sure your child is dressed appropriately
for these extended periods of outdoor play.
Indoor Shoes
We need your help to keep our school safe,
clean, and mud free. Winter weather poses a
real challenge when 350 people are bringing in
snow, slush and mud from the playground on
their outdoor footwear. It is essential for
cleanliness and safety, that your child is vigilant
about changing into a pair of indoor shoes that
are reserved for the classroom and the gym
ONLY, and are never worn outside in the winter.
Safe Outdoor Winter Play
The safety of all our students is of concern to
us, especially during the winter months. We
remind our students daily about playing safely.
This includes staying off ice patches and steep
snowy slopes. Students should not throw
snowballs or kick snow at other students. The
fundamental rule in the playground is that
students are not to play any games or be
involved in any activities that involve physical
contact. Games such as Tackle Football and
Crack-the-Whip are not allowed. Accidents will
happen but cautious play will reduce the
possibility of injuries.
o
RECESS RULES
Keep your hands and feet to yourselves
o
No verbal insults or put-downs
o
Use respectful language at all times
o
Treat all people with courtesy and respect
o
Play only “no contact” games outside
o
Stay on school property at all times
o
Snow, ice, rock, gravel, sand and soil stay
on the ground at all times
Please discuss with your child appropriate ways
to interact with others, which includes keeping
hands and feet to themselves, using kind words
to resolve problems, and treating others as
Jesus has taught us, with kindness, respect and
dignity. Remind young children to walk away
when games get too rough and to report to the
staff member wearing a bright orange vest.
Students have been informed repeatedly that
inappropriate play will result in consequences
such as lost recess time, “think sheets”, or a
phone call home.
Recess Foods
Good nutrition is a significant factor in student
health and well-being, and academic success.
Parents/guardians are urged to send lunches
and recess snacks that offer all of the nutrients
necessary for energy and growth. High fat,
high sugar, empty calorie foods should be
avoided, except as an occasional special treat.
Pauline Vanier is an allergen aware school.
Please make a conscientious effort to avoid any
foods containing peanuts and nuts.
We
discourage home-baked goods and sweets for
special occasions and encourage parents to
consider favours such as pencils or stickers.
P.A.L.S.
Our P.A.L.S. group is comprised of student
leaders who help children to play cooperatively
on the playground. Under the leadership of
Mrs. Campbell, our CYW, and Kristin, a CYW
student from Sheridan College, P.A.L.S. - trained
students work with younger children several
recesses each week, promoting fun, safe,
cooperative games during recess. Children are
reminded daily about safety on the playground
and the rules of good sportsmanship.
Family Safety Plan in Hazardous Weather
Note that announcements about school
closures are posted on the Dufferin-Peel
website at http://www.dpcdsb.org and
broadcasted on most local radio stations. In the
event that the weather deteriorates rapidly it is
important that families have a well-established
safety plan in place.
For students who do NOT take the bus, please
discuss the following with your child/ren:
the best way to walk home;
with whom the child should walk;
where he/she should go if no one is home;
how the child should seek help if visibility is
a problem due to blowing snow
For students who DO take the bus:
It is a fact that bad
weather may cause delays
for student pick-up at bus
stops. Please ensure that
your child has a safe place
to go if the bus is late or does not arrive. If you
notice that a student is stranded at a bus stop,
please attempt to contact the child’s parent for
them. It is not recommended that parents
volunteer to drive another child to school
without the permission of the child’s parent.
If you decide to transport your child to school
because buses have been cancelled, please
ensure that you have made arrangements for
their safe return home at the end of the day.
A Note about Late Buses
As the winter weather intensifies, please be
aware that buses are often delayed in reaching
their stops. Follow these precautions if the
weather is extreme:
• Assume buses will be delayed
• Listen to the radio for bus cancellations
Check the website: As soon as the board is
notified of delays by the bus company
details will be posted: http://www.stopr.ca
• If possible, remain with your child at the
bus stop until the bus arrives. We don’t
wish to see students stranded in the cold.
Kiss ‘N Ride
Parents please do not leave your car
unattended in the Kiss ‘N Ride lane at the main
entrance of the school or in front of the
kindergarten entrance. If you are dropping off a
young child or delivering a lunch to the office,
please make sure you car is parked in a
designated parking spot, or on the street. We
ask parents to use extra caution in the winter
months due to impaired visibility and icy
conditions. Please be advised that there is no
supervision on the playground before 8:15 a.m.
Students must NOT be dropped off before then.
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Knights of Columbus Free Throw Challenge
Pauline Vanier School attended the Knights of
Columbus Free Throw Challenge on Monday
January 31st. Congratulations to Victoria F, John
M, Jithmal S, Ashley-May D, Ashton L, Kiara B,
Nicole L, Brandon R, and Joseph C! You all did a
great job in the challenge. You made us proud
representing Pauline Vanier School!
Valentine's Bake Sale
On Monday February 14th, Ms. Tersigni's Grade
4 class and Mr. Pavic's Grade 4/5 class will be
hosting a NUT-FREE Valentine's Day Bake Sale.
There will be a variety of yummy treats
available for sale. Most items will be between
25 cents and $1. We will also be raffling off a
delicious home-made double layer chocolate
cake; tickets will be 25 cents each or 5 for $1.
All money raised from the Bake Sale will be
used to reduce the cost of the Grade 4 trip to
Medieval Times and to purchase materials for a
Grade 5 art activity based on their Ancient
Civilization Unit.
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Pauline Vanier will be hosting two events in
February: Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for
Heart. Students will have the opportunity to
make their hearts healthy and become Heart
Heros. The event will take place throughout the
day on Thursday February 17th throughout the
day and students will begin collecting pledges
prior to the event. A portion of the proceeds
will go to research for the Heart and Stroke
Foundation and the remaining will be used to
replace the basketball net at the exterior of the
school. Students are advised not to go door-todoor but to collect pledges from family members and friends. We are excited to support optimal health and development for children,
helping Pauline Vanier's students become
aware of the importance of a healthy heart.
PARENT’S CORNER
Teaching Respect
Ask your youngster to rephrase requests.
Teaching your child to speak and act
respectfully is one of the most important things
parents can do. Here are suggestions that will
help you raise a youngster who makes others
feel respected - and earns their respect in
return.
Behave respectfully.
Together, create family rules that contain the
word “respect.” Examples: “Respect others by
keeping your hands and feet to yourself.”
“Respect property by putting clothes and toys
away.” Have your child draw a picture for each
rule.
Speak respectfully.
Ask your child to rephrase requests that aren’t
respectful. If he shouts, “I want a snack!” you
might say, “I’ll listen when you ask nicely.” And
since he will follow your lead, talk to him the
same way you’d like him to address you.
Instead of say, “You’re in the way,” say “Excuse
me, please.”
Disagree respectfully.
Teach your child to share his opinion politely.
For example, show him how you respect his
choice of ice cream flavor while explaining your
own: “Chocolate chip is yummy but I like
strawberry because it’s fruity.” Remind him
that he won’t always agree with people sometimes it’s okay to disagree.
Tell the Truth
Show your child that the truth matters –
even in situations when no one would know the
difference. For example, if you leave a store
without noticing that an item is at the bottom
of your cart, let your child see you return to pay
for it. Explain that being honest is the right
thing to do and it makes you feel good. The
truth is especially important when owning up to
misconduct. If a child can be encouraged to
speak the truth about his or her actions, even
when to do so might cause embarrassment or
result in a consequence, this is a huge step
along the road to moral maturity. Lying to
cover up one’s poor choices, or selective retelling of incidents, only prolongs the agony of
facing up to one’s actions and distorts one’s
sense of integrity and self worth. We have an
obligation to teach our children that the “truth
shall set you free.”
Imagine the Outcome
If your youngster is worried, ask him to think of
the worst-case scenario (“If I mess up during my
oral report, everyone will laugh.”). Then ask
him to picture what is more likely to happen
(“Some people might laugh, but my friends
would be nice.”) If your child thinks realistically
about the situation he will be less apt to worry.
Find the Silver Lining
Teach your child that good things happen even
on bad days. When he complains about an
argument with a friend, or a math lesson he
didn’t like, listen to his feelings. Then, help him
to think of something that made him happy (“I
had fun in gym.”)
ARE YOU TICKED?
Please check your property tax bill to ensure
your support is directed to your local Catholic
school board, in our case, the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board. You can verify
your support by contacting the board’s
Admissions Department at (905) 890- 0708, ext.
24511 or 24512, or your local municipal office.
NEWSFLASH!!!!!
Speak Up Winners
Three groups of students were successful
recipients of a total of $2,000 in Speak Up
grants to support student leadership at Pauline
Vanier School. Congratulations to the Tutoring
Club, the Sports Club and Performing Arts
Group. More exciting details about these
activities are to follow.
Literary Star
Congratulations to Quinton B. in Mr. Pavic’s
Grade 4 class. His literary entry entitled The
Mysterious Creature of the Deep will be
published by Polar Expressions Publishing,
moving him to the final round of competitions
with prizes totally more than $10,000 overall.
Well done Quinton!
DATES TO REMEMBER
February 9th School Council
Feb. 10 St. Roch Parent Information Night
February 14th Valentine Bake Sale
February 17th Jump Rope for Heart Day
February 14th Valentine’s Day
February 15th National Flag Day
February 19th World Day of Social Justice
February 21st Family Day NO SCHOOL
March 26th First Reconciliation Saturday Noon
March 8th Shrove Tuesday
March 9th Ash Wednesday
March 14-18 March Break
April 17th Palm Sunday
April 22nd Good Friday
April 25th Easter Monday
th