December 2014 Newsletter
Pauline Vanier
Catholic School
A Blessing At Advent
56 Oaklea Blvd,
Brampton, Ontario,
L6Y 4W7
May all who work for a world of peace
and reason,
be granted the gifts of strength and courage…
Phone:
905-455-1001
Fax: 905-455-3406
Website:
http://www.dpcdsb.org//
pvani
Principal:
I. Maas
Superintendent
L. Papaloni
Trustee
A. daSilva
D. D’Souza
905-890-0708
Head Secretary:
T. Winckler
St. Jerome’s Parish
8530 Chinguacousy
Rd. Brampton
Phone:905-455-4260
Fax: 905-450-6326
Website: http//
www.stjeromeparish.ca
Pastor:
Fr. Jan Kolodynski
School Council Chair
K. LaNave
holding four candles, one for each week of
Advent. The wreath is circular to remind us
of the unending love God has for us. The
evergreen branches also remind us of this
gift. The wreath was an ancient symbol of
victory and symbolizes the glory of Christ’s
birth. The candles remind us that we were
waiting in the darkness until Jesus, the
Light of the World, was born.
School Advent Mass
You are all cordially invited to attend our
May the good that dwells within every human school’s Advent Mass on Tuesday, Decemheart be magnified…
ber 16, 2014 at 9:30 am in our school gym.
We hope that many will be able to join us to
May the blessings of truth and understanding be celebrate our faith, pray as a community,
ours…
and have an opportunity to wish each other
a blessed and joyful Christmas.
May the joys of this Advent and Christmas season dwell within all of us…
Operation Christmas Child
As we continue to grow and build for tomorrow, Thank you to all our families who particimay we share Christ’s love and understanding pated in our Operation Christmas Child
with all
outreach project. The 103 shoeboxes that
were collected will be sent to Haiti, Central
May God grant you the light in Christmas,
America or the Philippines. Thank you to
which is faith;
S. Grasman’s class and the Youth Faith Amthe warmth of Christmas, which is love;
bassadors for assisting with this project.
the belief in Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
Congratulations Mrs. M. DeSouza
Amen
Advent
Advent is a time of waiting for the birth of
Jesus. During Advent we prepare our
homes and ourselves to welcome the
newborn king. Advent traditions such as
the Advent wreath serve as visual reminders of this time of waiting and preparing.
The Advent wreath is a popular custom that
originated in Germany hundreds of years
ago. It is a wreath of evergreen branches
We say a special farewell to Maria DeSouza
who will retire at the end of December after
23 years of teaching. Of those, 17 years,
were spent at Pauline Vanier. We will miss
Mrs. DeSouza’s expertise, her support of
many endeavors, her endless energy to
teach and reach students and her wonderful sense of humour. All the best Mrs.
DeSouza as you enter this new phase of
your life.
Learning and Growing Together with God
Christmas Mass Schedule for
St. Jerome’s Parish
The schedule for Masses at St. Jerome’s Parish for Christmas are as follows:
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve
5:00 pm, 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm and 12:00 midnight
Dec. 25 Christmas Day
10:30am and 12:00 noon
December 31 New Year’s Eve
5;00 pm
January 1 New Year’s Day
10:30 am
12:00 noon
preventing injury to others. Please assist us by reviewing
with your child the dangers of throwing snowballs and the
importance of preventing injury to other children.
Snow Fort/Structure Code of Ethics
At Pauline Vanier we encourage students to spend their
recess breaks engaged in healthy, safe, and productive activities. Students typically spend time engaged in a variety
of activities including the building of snow structures or
forts during the winter months. In response to concerns
evolving from the building of these structures we will be
continuing to implement a ‘Snow Fort Code of Ethics’. The
code is intended to serve as an on-going reminder to all
students to continue to value and respect the efforts of others and sets clear guidelines around these structures so stuFall Food Drive
dents can continue to enjoy recesses building snow forts.
The Snow Fort
Code of Ethics is as
Thank you for all the donations to our Fall Food Drive. The follows:
food was donated to the Knight Table in Brampton. A
thanks goes out to the students who are Youth Faith Ambassadors for organizing and promoting the food drive.
Roots of Empathy
Pauline Vanier is happy to have The Roots of Empathy program being delivered in one of our classrooms this year.
We are very exited to welcome Baby Julian to Pauline VaSnow Fort/Structure Code of Ethics
nier for his monthly visits. Please visit rootsofempathy.org
for more information.
At Pauline Vanier, we enjoy building snow forts and structures. We will abide by the following agreements:
Assessment and Evaluation Day
 We do not destroy snow forts/structures. This agreement is in effect during and after school hours.
On Monday, January 19th, 2015 staff will be involved in
 Everyone who builds a fort/structure has to agree to
assessment and evaluation activities. There is no school for
changing it or breaking it down.
students on this day.
 We need an invitation to go into a snow fort.
 We do not take snow blocks from other group’s strucSchool Yard Safety
ture unless we have their permission.
 We do not take over other group’s snow
forts/structure.
We continue to remind our students regularly that they are
to choose activities that do not involve “body contact of
Dressing For Winter
any sort.” We are finding that most of our students are
becoming more aware of the meaning of this and we enPlease assist us in encouraging the children to dress adecourage that you discuss this rule with your child(ren) at
quately for this weather. Except when the weather is exhome as well.
tremely cold or wet, the students will be going outside during the recess and lunch periods.
Snow
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School policy states that
consideration should be given for keeping students inAs the winter weather begins, students are reminded that
doors during recesses when the wind chill reaches –20C.
“Snow is not to be thrown or kicked.”. Every child in the At –25C students will be kept indoors. Playing outdoors
school was made aware of the importance of this rule in
is a pleasant and healthy activity when students are wear-
ing suitable clothing. For the younger students, it would
be helpful if parents were to label items of clothing with
their child’s name, so that each person can more easily locate his/her own clothing. The Lost and Found bin is located on the first floor between the gym and library. Please
encourage your child to check these bins if they are missing
something.
Bus and School Cancellations




proof of Canadian Citizenship or Landed Immigrant -status
NEW- 2 items that prove home address (utility bill,
property tax bill, real estate document (i.e. purchase and sale agreement or a rental agreement)
for schools in Caledon and Dufferin County: emergency rural address numbers for identifying your
property
proof of English Separate School Support (may be
done at the time of registration by completing an Application For the Direction of School Support and/or a Separate
School Lease Agreement available at the school)
If you have access to the internet you may check the Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) website for
cancellation and/or to see if your child(ren)’s bus is delayed
and by how long it is delayed.
2015 Entry Planning for Students with Differing Abilities
The STOPR website is www.stopr.ca
Transitioning to Kindergarten
Student Illness—Staying in During Recess
Students who are ill should be kept home where they are
most comfortable and can get better, sooner. A child who
is too ill to go out for recess is too ill to be at school. Your
co-operation to keep your child home when he/she is ill is
appreciated.
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2015-16
There will be an information session for parent(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 information session will be
held at the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board–
Catholic Education Center, Room 301 on Thursday, January 8, 2015 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Snow date Tuesday,
January 13, 2015, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Parents and
guardians are also reminded to register their child at their
school office . Please see above for details on Kindergarten
registration
Registration for the 2015-16 school year will be held at Paulin Vanier on the following dates.
Monday, January 26, 2015 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.*
Extended French Information Meeting
*Snow Date: Tuesday, January, 27, 2015- 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, January 28th, 29th and
St. Monica will be hosting an Extended French Program
30th , 2015
Information meeting for parents/guardians of Grade Four
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
students who wish to register for the program. The extend1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
ed French Program starts in Grade Five, with students receiving 50% of curriculum instruction in the French LanFor more information, call Pauline Vanier at 905-455-1001
guage. Parents are encouraged to speak to your child’s
classroom teacher and French teacher to discuss the suitaYear One -Children must be 4 years old by December 31,2015
Year Two- Children must be 5 years old by December 31, 2015
bility of this opportunity for your child.
Interested parents and students are invited to this presentaParents/Guardians should bring the following documents tion on Wednesday, January 14th, 2015 at 7 pm at St. Monwhen registering their child:
ica School (60 Sterritt Drive, Brampton L6Y 5B6). Applications will be accepted at St. Monica until 3:00 pm on Tues proof of age of the child (birth certificate or passday, February 17th, 2015.
port)
 original Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate (for
Minimizing Disruptions to Classes
parent/guardian and/or child) or Baptismal Certificate of other rites in communion with the Holy See We appreciate continued parental help and support in minof Rome
imizing disruptions to classes, whenever possible. By try updated immunization records
ing our best not to disturb classes, except in very important
situations, we are reducing disruptions to quality teaching
and learning time. To this end, we ask the following:
 If you wish to discuss something with your child’s
teacher, we ask that you set up an appointment with
the teacher. Approaching the teacher before, during
and/or after school makes it difficult for the teacher to
focus on her/his students. This also becomes a safety
issue. Please leave a message with the office and the
teacher will call you back.
 If your child is late please have him/her report to the
office. PLEASE DO NOT ESCORT YOUR CHILD TO
CLASS.
 Send a note in advance to your child’s teacher when
your child needs to be picked up early, then meet them
in the office and sign them out.
 If delivering lunches to your child at school, write your
child’s and teacher’s names on lunch bags and leave
them on the lunch table in the front foyer. This would
be greatly appreciated.
Please Don’t Be Late!
Recently we have noticed an increase in the number of students arriving late for school and classes. All students
from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, should start school
on time. This prevents interruption of classes and loss of
information for the students. Please encourage and assist
your child(ren) to recognize that punctuality is a responsibility, which all students should be developing. A reminder that school begins at 8:40 am in the morning and
12:40p.m. in the afternoon.
-reinforce the message that even if we aren’t good friends
with someone we can still be friendly, considerate and welcoming
-use teachable moments (family situations, media, and
movies) to explore empathy with your child(ren) and help
them relate to and understand how others are feeling.
December Virtue of the Month is HOPE
People of Hope:
 Keep a positive attitude
 Can bounce back from a tough situation
 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
The daily prayer of HOPE for December is:
Let us now pray...for the grace and courage to be people of
Hope. People who can see, participate in and contribute to
God’s goodness emerging around us.
Amen
P.A.L.S.
Pauline Vanier School is pleased to announce the return of
P.A.L.S. leaders (Playground Activity Leaders at School)
These leaders have been leading the primary students in a
variety of games during recesses on Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday. The motto for P.A.L.S. leaders is
“There is always room for one more”. Please encourage
your child(ren) in the primary grades to join in the many
Bullying Prevention Corner– We All Want to
fun, safe and social skill building activities. Thank you to
Feel Included
all P.A.L.S. leaders and the staff for assisting with this initiIn December the focus during morning announcements ative.
and lessons is on including and accepting others. The mesThink Papers/ Conduct Reports
sage “w e all w ant to feel includ ed ” underscores the idea
that all of us desire the same thing and we all have some
responsibility in creating an atmosphere that is inclusive. At Pauline Vanier we use a variety of techniques to deal
Students will hopefully learn the meaning of empathy and with misbehaviour. One technique that some staff use is a
explore feelings associated with being excluded. Research Think Paper. The think paper is a tool that requires your
shows that bullying behaviours demonstrate a lack of em- child(ren) to reflect on what they have done and what they
pathy toward others. Through ongoing efforts at the should/would do the next time a similar situation were to
school students will also look at how to help someone feel occur. The think paper is then brought home to parents to
included and examine ways of strengthening their friend- share and be returned the next day signed. It is our hope
that you would discuss the situation with your child. If a
ship building skills.
child receives three or more think papers a staff member
Tips for parents:
-talk with your child(ren) about ways to build friendships would then complete a Conduct Report. If your child receives a conduct report they have a conversation with the
with others
principal of the school. They will then be given an appropriate consequence and you would be notified. Teachers
can also complete a conduct report if the behaviour is very 19, 2014. School will commence in the New Year on Monserious and needs parental involvement and attention day, January 5, 2015
right away.
Dates to Remember
Lost and Found
There are a great number of items in our Lost and Found
box. These items will be on display from Dec. 8th to the
19th, 2014. Parents are encouraged to come and check the
Lost and Found. If you are coming during the school day
please check into the office before proceeding to the Lost
and Found display. All unclaimed items will be donated to
charity after December 19th, 2014.
Sunday, Dec. 7
Monday, Dec. 8
Tuesday, Dec. 9
Wednesday, Dec. 10
Thursday, Dec 11
Sunday, Dec. 14
Monday, Dec 15
Tuesday, December 16
Christmas Carousel
You and your family members are invited to join us for a
fun filled evening of Christmas activities on Thursday, December 11, 2014 between 6:30-8:00 pm at Pauline Vanier
School.
Some events include: a visit from Santa Claus, crafts, carol
singing and letter writing to Santa. Refreshments will be
provided by our Catholic School Council.
Please bring your own camera if you would like a photo
with Santa Claus.
Council Update
Thank you
for your donations to our upcoming
“Christmas Market for Kids”. The marketplace is an opportunity for students to shop for their loved ones at a
price point they can afford! We will continue to accept donations until December 9.
Please join us for some Christmas cheer on the evening of
the Christmas Carousel on Thursday December 11 from
6:30-8:00 pm. Refreshments will be served in the gymnasium.
Merry Christmas and blessings to you all from your
Catholic School Council
Friday, Dec. 19
Sunday, Dec. 21
Monday, Jan. 5
Tuesday, Jan. 6
Wednesday, Jan. 7
Thursday, Jan. 8
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Friday, January 16
Monday, Jan. 19
Tuesday, Jan. 20
Monday, Jan. 26
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Wednesday, Jan. 28
Catholic School Council
Thursday, Jan. 29
The next Catholic School Council Meeting will be held on
Monday, February 2, 2015 at 6:45 p.m. in the library. As
always all parents are welcome to attend all Catholic
School Council Meetings.
Friday, Jan. 30
Monday, Feb. 2
-Second Sunday of Advent
-Lost and Found on display
-Pizza Lunch
-Christmas Marketplace for Kids
-Christmas Carousel from 6:30–8 pm
-Third Sunday of Advent
-Little Red Theater Presentation for
Kindergarten and Grade One
-Advent Mass at 9:30 am in the gym
-Mrs. J. De Souza’s , Grade 6 class trip
to Silvercreek
-Pizza Lunch
-Final day for Lost and Found items
-Pajamas and Movie Day for JK-6
(Do not send food or refreshments to share for the event.)
-Grade 7 and 8 Dance in the afternoon
(Do not send food or refreshments to share for the dance.)
-Last Day of Classes
-Fourth Sunday of Advent
-First Day of Classes
-Pizza Lunch
-Immunizations for Grade 7 and Grade
8 girls
-Rosary Apostolate Visit
-Hot Lunch
-Pizza Lunch
-Extended French Information Session
at St. Monica School at 7 pm
-Grade Nine Registration forms due
-Assessment and Evaluation of
Student Progress Day (no school)
-Term 2 begins
-Pizza Lunch
-Kindergarten Registration 7-9 pm
(snow day Tuesday January 27th)
-Pizza Lunch
-Kindergarten Registration 9-11am
and 1-3pm
-Kindergarten Registration 9-11am
and 1-3pm
-Kindergarten Registration 9-11am
and 1-3pm
-CSC meeting at 6:45 in the Library
Inserts
Christmas Break
Christmas break will commence on Monday, December 22,
2014. The last day of school will be on Friday, December
International Student Flyer
Bus Cancellations