St. Stephen Catholic School
17 Colonel Bertram Rd., L6Z 4N8, Brampton
Telephone: (905) 840-3921 Fax: (905) 840-6454
School Website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/STEPH
“With Love, Compassion,
Honesty, & Respect”
November 2014 – Volume 3
Principal
S. Rea
Head Secretary
Highlights:
PRAYER FOR NOVEMBER

M. Psaila
Superintendent




M. Vecchiarino
Brampton North East
(905) 890-1221
Trustee
L. Zanella
(905) 890-1221
Ward 2
Parish
St. Leonard
187 Conestoga Dr.
Brampton, Ontario
(905) 846-5385
Pastor
Fr. John Nosan
Fr. Eric Mah
School Council Chairs
D. Vieira De Santis
W. Hawley
Follow Us on
Twitter!
@DPCDSBSchools
Dear Lord,
In the rising of the sun and it’s
going down,
We will remember them.
In the blowing of the wind and in
the chill of winter,
We will remember them.
In the opening of the buds and in
the rebirth of spring,
We will remember them.
In the rushing of the leaves and in
the beauty of autumn,
We will remember them.
So long as we live, they too will
live.
AMEN
Professional Activity Day
November 14, 2014
No School for Students


Key Message for November
is…“Everyone Needs to Learn How to
Live in Peace”
Our Catholic Heritage
Catholic School Council
Safe Arrival Program
Storage & Administration of
Medication
Sharks Corner
Dates to Remember
Virtue of the Month: Conscience
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE
What sacrifices did Catholics have to make to send
their children to separate schools?
Because the United Legislature of Canada East and Canada
West roughly consisted of members advocating nondenominational common schools and half were in favor of
them, separate school legislation, for about fifteen years,
contained three obstacles to their existence:
Catholics could establish and support a separate school,
but had to continue paying common school taxes. Thus,
they paid tuition for their children in the separate
school;
b) The separate school had no permanence of existence. If
the local common school board hired a Catholic as one
of their teachers, then the separate school ceased to
exist. Separate schools kept opening and closing in the
early years;
c) In the cities the separate school board required the
permission of the common school board to open a new
or an additional separate school. Sometimes the
permission was not forthcoming.
d) The legislation required twelve Catholic heads of
family resident within a city, town or township common
school section. The townships’ common school
sections were so small that often there were not twelve
resident Catholic families.
FAITH ACTIVITIES
ST. LEONARD PARISH MASS TIMES
Saturday:
Sunday:
5:00 pm
9:00 am
10:30 am
12:00 NOON
a)
Were these four obstacles removed?
Yes. The United Legislature of Canada East and Canada West in
1853, 1855 and 1863 removed all four hindrances. There was no
more double taxation. It did not matter if there was a Catholic
teaching in the common school. The separate school board did
not need the permission of the common school board to open a
new or additional separate school. The number of Catholic heads
of family to establish school was lowered from twelve to five.
As a result, the number of separate schools grew considerably.
What effect did the Canadian Constitution, create in the
British North America Act (1867) (now entitled either the
Constitution Act or the Canada Act), have on separate
schools?
When the Fathers of Confederation came from New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Canada East and Canada West to meet in
Charlottetown and Quebec, they quickly concluded, in the words
of one of the Fathers, Sir Charles Tupper, that “Without this
guarantee for the rights of minorities being embodied in that new
constitution, we should have been unable to obtain any
Confederation whatever.”
Sacramental Dates
Reconciliation – Wed Jan 14th, 2015 @ 9:30 am @ the Parish
Eucharistic Celebration – Sat April 11th, 2015 @ 10:00 am
Confirmation Enrolment – Nov 15 & 16 at the Parish
Confirmation Practice – Wed May 20th, 2015 @ 9:30 am
Confirmation Day – Thurs May 21st, 2015 @ 7:00 pm
CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Future Meeting Dates are:
Mon Nov 3rd, 2014 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tues Jan 13th, 2015 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Mon Feb 9th, 2015 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tues April 7th, 2015 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tues May 5th, 2015 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
All meetings will be in the Staff Room
All are warmly welcomed to attend
Our Potluck Luncheon will be held on Monday
June 1st, 2015 at 11:45 am in the Staff Room
YOUTH FAITH AMBASSADORS
St. Stephen's Youth Faith Ambassadors will be
collecting any hard unwanted Halloween candy for Dr.
Simone's Canadian Food for Children Warehouse.
The Candy for Dr. Simone’s drive will be held from
Nov. 3 to Nov. 14. Any candies are asked to be
brought to Mrs. Tipou's Classroom.
Thank you from all the members of the Youth Faith
Ambassadors!
SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS
Re-takes and class photos are scheduled for, Nov 12th.
Bring your smiles! 
Graduation Photos will take place on Jan 22, 2015.
Our 25th Anniversary School Roof Top photo is on April 8th,
2015 @ 1:00 pm. Please join us.
QSP MAGAZINES FUNDRAISER
Thank you to our school community for your
generous support of this fundraiser this year. Your
contributions will help to enrich our learning
environment.
BUS INFORMATION
PROGRESS REPORT CARDS
Progress Report Cards will go home with students on
November 11th, 2014. Interviews will be held on the evening
of November 13th, 2014.
VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
Transportation eligibility is determined by a student’s
home
address.
The
following
website,
www.businfo.stopr.ca is available to students,
parents/guardians, school administrators, secretaries
and school bus operators. Parents/guardians who are
eligible for transportation will be able to login to the
www.businfo.stopr.ca site and access details of their
child’s transportation arrangements.
Please remember that to other children, you are a stranger. All
school doors are locked at all times and a monitored entry system is
active at the front door of our school. Please enter the school through
the front doors and report to the office, sign in, and pick up a visitor
pass. Prior to leaving, sign out and return your visitor’s pass. Any
individuals wandering the school without appropriate identification
will be asked to report to the office. Please help us to maintain a
safe and welcoming environment for your children.
Parents/guardians are also kindly asked to bid your child(ren)
farewell from beyond the playground. Only students and staff are
to be in the schoolyard. Again, this is to ensure the safety of your
child(ren). Your attention to this is most appreciated.
Please be reminded that dogs are not permitted in the schoolyard
area at any time. The excitement of the children or the bell ringing
can frighten dogs. Also, some students are afraid or allergic.
KISS & RIDE SAFETY
St. Stephen is proud of its Kiss and Ride Program. In order for it to
continue to run smoothly and safely for all our students, everyone
needs to follow the same procedure. Please obey the following
procedures when driving into the school parking lot:
The entry, exit, cross walk and bus zone, on school property, must
never be blocked by cars. Ample space must be left for buses to
enter and exit the school property.
Please park in the parking spots at the school or on the street.
Do not park in any of the lanes in the front of the school and
please do not leave your car unattended.
VOLUNTEERS
We are always looking for dedicated parents/guardians to
help with events within the school. If you are interested in
sharing some of your time, please call the school office and
register your name.
Please note that all volunteers in a school, including those
accompanying students on educational excursions, must
have a criminal reference check on file in the school office in
order to be able to volunteer at the school or to accompany
students on educational excursions.
CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECKS
Anyone working in our school as an employee or volunteer
must provide the school with a Criminal Reference Check
completed by Peel Police. Criminal Reference Checks are free
of charge for volunteers. Forms are available in the office.
You are encouraged to get your Criminal Reference Check
completed early so that you do not miss out on any
opportunities to volunteer at the school or on educational
excursions.
SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM - Attendance Verification
Daily attendance at school and punctuality are very
important. If your child is going to be late or absent from
school, please inform the office at (905) 840-3921. The school
has an answering machine to receive messages at any time of
the day or night. The child’s parent or the legal guardian must
call the school regarding their child’s absence.
When calling, please provide the following:
 Name of student (first & last, spell the last name)
 Name of teacher
 Grade
 Reason for absence
REGULAR ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY
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.
PLASP – CHILD CARE SERVICES
PLASP Child Care Services operates before and after school
programs at St. Stephen. The before school program operates
from 7:30 am until school begins at 8:45 am. A nutritious
breakfast is served daily. The after school program runs from
the end of the school day at 3:15 pm until 6:00 pm. Children
participate in recreational activities, are served a nutritious
snack daily and have time for homework. Fee assistance is
available for those who qualify.
For more information on the PLASP, Child Care Services
Program, visit our PLASP Director, before and after school at
St. Stephen or call the PLASP Head Office at 905-890-1711.
You can also visit the website at www.plasp.com
STORAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
OF MEDICATION
Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that all
medication and forms are completed and updated
annually for any student who requires medication to be
administered at school. If your child requires
medication, please have the necessary forms completed
and return them, along with the medication, to the office
as soon as possible. Forms are available at the school
office.
All medication is stored in the office area. The only
exception to this requirement has to do with any child
who, because of life threatening allergies, must carry
medication.
ALLERGEN AWARE SCHOOL
PEANUT & OTHER LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES,
SABRINA’S LAW ANAPHYLAXIS REACTION
Sabrina’s Law is an Act to protect anaphylactic students
in publicly funded schools in Ontario.
Named
“Sabrina’s Law” in honor of an Ontario student who
died following an anaphylactic reaction in 2003, the law
became effective on January 1, 2006.
As we begin the new school year, we would like to
inform you that St. Stephen is an allergen aware school.
There are pupils in attendance at our school who suffer
from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods,
such as: peanuts, nuts and their by-products. Exposure
to the smallest quantities can cause severe and life
threatening reactions in some students. Anaphylaxis is a
severe and life threatening allergic reaction. The most
common allergen triggers are food, insect stings,
medications, exercise and latex. An anaphylactic
reaction involves symptoms from two or more body
systems.
We would appreciate the cooperation of the entire
school community by NOT sending any lunches or
snacks that contain peanuts, nuts or their by-products.
We want St. Stephen’s to be a safe environment for all
students.
Thank you for your assistance with this initiative.
VIRTUE ASSEMBLY
HOMEWORK HELP
Thank you to our support staff and our students for our
Virtue Assembly this month.
Congratulations to all our Virtue of the Month
recipients. We want to thank them for being exemplary
role models and for living out the virtues in their daily
lives.
A special thank you to all the families that joined us.
Recognizing the virtue of Empathy…
Homework Help is a free service, offering live oneon-one tutoring by certified Ontario teachers.
Tutors tailor teaching strategies to each student,
taking the time to understand the specific
challenges for each learner and gear the sessions
to meet the student’s needs.
Homework Help offers 24/7 math resources for
Ontario students in grades 7 to 10. HH resources
are diverse, covering the key skills learned in
grades 7 to 10. Resources are skill based, not
sorted by grade making them welcoming to
learners filling their gaps.
Parents can sign up for a free guest account.
Get resources and tools 24/7:



During the month of November we will focus on the
virtue of Conscience and we look forward to our next
Virtue Assembly on November 28th, 2014
A call for support…
The St. Stephen school community is requesting any gently
used or unwanted Christmas materials for our upcoming
Craft Club. We will also be collecting basic Lego sets for a
possible Lego Club and curriculum support. If you would
like to donate, please drop off your items at the main
office. Thank you for your support!
Thank you to Ms. Costa, Mrs. Strachan, Mrs. Klukowski and
Mrs. Moreira for organizing the Craft Club and for their
creativity and time.
Math videos
Interactive exercises & activities
Scientific calculator…and more!
You can help your child with math.
Teachers are standing by:


Every Sunday to Thursday
5:30 pm to 9:30 pm ET
Register at ontario.ca/HomeworkHelpHH tutors
develop student understanding through:
 Scaffolding
 Direct instruction
 Guiding questions
 Demonstrating and Modeling
 Summarizing for consolidation
 Descriptive feedback
HH tutoring provides opportunities for:
 Reciprocal teaching: have students teach
each other the method they learned with a
HH tutor
 Higher order questions: students can
stretch their understanding with the
support of a teacher coming alongside
SAFE, CARING, HEALTHY &
INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS
The key message for November is…
“Everyone Needs to Learn How to Live in Peace”
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s
initiative to create safe, caring, healthy and inclusive school
communities is rooted in our Catholic identity, in particular,
our shared belief in the dignity of all persons created in God’s
image. Safe Schools Policies include Bullying Prevention and
a school wide Progressive Discipline approach.
BULLYING PREVENTION
INITIATIVES
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/Guardians:
At St. Stephen we have a variety of Bullying Prevention
Initiatives, including our Virtues Program, Positive Climate
Initiative, PALS, and other meaningful school wide and
classroom programs and activities.
- help your child learn to recognize early signs
that they are becoming agitated or upset
- create a calming space or reflection area in
your home
VIRTUES INITIATIVE
A Catholic Faith Community is rooted in a set of common
beliefs which are inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus.
- learn the steps of the conflict resolution model
the school uses and apply those at home
As a Catholic Community we are called to learn, to grow and
to become more like Jesus in the way we see and treat others.
Our Catholic faith plays an important role in helping us shape
schools that are safe, caring, healthy and inclusive.
GLEE CLUB
Catholic School Education provides us the opportunity to
integrate virtue formation into all areas of our life within the
context of our faith. St. Stephen Catholic School will again
focus our attention on the Catholic Virtues. This program is
designed to help us nurture virtue and character development
in the lives of our students. Each month the whole school will
focus on a different virtue. Classroom activities, school wide
activities and assemblies will all focus on a specific virtue each
month.
September – Faith
October – Empathy
November – Conscience
December – Hope
January – Self Control
February - Respect
March - Kindness
April - Love
May - Acceptance
June - Fairness
We are very pleased to introduce you to the St.
Stephen Glee Club!
This group of talented students will be using their
musical gifts to spread school spirit and entertain the
St. Stephen community.
Thank you to Mrs. Muir, Ms. Costa and Mlle.
Commisso for starting up the Glee Club and for their
continued support with this popular club.
CASUALFRIDAYS
You may have noticed that the staff at St. Stephen
is dressed casually on Fridays. Through their
generous donations made on these Fridays, we are
supporting Share Life and the many charities
affiliated with the United Way of Peel (Christian
charities).
SHARKS CORNER
Congratulations to our Junior Boys and Junior Girls
Volleyball teams who did a fantastic job representing St.
Stephen! They all played well and showed good
sportsmanship. Great job Sharks!
MILK PROGRAM
St. Stephen Catholic School will continue to offer a
milk program to all our students. White and chocolate
milk are available each day for a cost of $1.00.
1.
A big thank you to all our wonderful
coaches; Ms. Fazzari, Mrs. Tipou, Ms.
Costa and Mrs. Chaves
NELSON MATH WEBSITE
Teachers, students, and parents can visit this site
for web links and other online support for Nelson
Mathematics K-8 at www.nelson.com
INDOOR SHOES
All students are asked to bring a pair of indoor
shoes to school. Students are kindly asked to
change into their indoor shoes when in the
building.
This will assist in keeping our
classrooms clean and dry. Wet floors can cause
slips and falls. Also, in the event of a fire alarm,
students will not be able to stop to put their boots
on, so it is important for students to wear shoes at
all times.
Grade 8 Retreat at Mount Alverno
Our grade 8 students, along with their teacher, Mrs. Pritchard, spent the day in a Leadership Program at Mount
Alverno Retreat Centre. Mount Alverno is situated in the picturesque Caledon Hills and is a place where people
of all ages have an opportunity to experience the love and peace of Christ in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.
Throughout the retreat, our students were engaged in Holy Scripture, as well as community-building, leadership
and trust activities. It was an enlightening experience for our students as they prepare throughout this year for the
sacrament of Confirmation.
Author Visit
On October 7 and October 14, J. Katyn visited St. Stephen’s School Library to inspire the students in
Grades 1 to Grade 4/5 to be the next famous author. Students put their literary and artistic talent at the
forefront to begin to develop as young authors and illustrators. The sessions began with a unique change in
self-perception so that students realized that they can have the power to be the next young author as they
all have god given talents and unique stories to tell. Inspirational costumes, music, art, literature contributed
to the dynamic event. Topics covered were vocabulary development, target audience, parts of a book,
illustrating and theme development. Throughout the session, students were engaged to produce a classroom
book to be shared with our Kindergarten students and to continue the dialogue and publishing process in
their classroom. All students received a Next Young Author certificate for participating in the workshops.
Celebrating Terry Fox
Our Rain Date turned out to be a beautiful day…
Congratulations to our Cross Country Team for representing us so well at our meet on
October 25, 2015.
A big thank you to all our coaches and to Mrs. Sousa, Mr. Jesus, and Ms. Serpe for their
commitment and dedication to the day!
Thank you to our school community for supporting our Sharelife Halloween Dance…a great way
to have our Daily Physical Activity and support many families in need.
Thank you to our school community for supporting our Sharelife Halloween Dance…a great way
to have our Daily Physical Activity and support many families in need.
DATES TO REMEMBER
ADVENT SEASON
Nov 3
Nov 10
Nov 11
Nov 11
Nov 12
Nov 13
Nov 18
Nov 25
Nov 28
Dec 2
Dec 9
Dec 15-17
Dec 16
Dec 16
Dec 17
Dec 17
Jan 23
Jan 26
Jan 27
Jan 28-30
Feb 5
CSC Meeting
Chapters Night
Remembrance Day
Progress Report to go home
Photos Re-take Day and class group photos
Reporting Evening 7pm - 9pm
RAID for grade 6
RAID for grade 6
Virtue Assembly
RAID for grade 6
RAID for grade 6
Scholastic Book Fair
Advent Mass
RAID for grade 6
Virtue Assembly
Christmas Concert
Round 2 – Grade 8 HPV, Dose 2, Hep B catchup & Meningococcal vaccinations
Full Day Kindergarten Registration 7pm - 9pm
Our Advent Season will begin on the first Sunday
of Advent, November 30th, 2014. We will
celebrate the Advent Season with a Mass on
Tuesday December 16th, 2014 @ 10:15 am. We
hope you can join us! This year we will continue
our Charitable Drives which include;
Clothing – mittens, hats, scarves, socks
Food – non-perishable food items
New Toys – Peel Regional Police Drive
The most wonderful time of the year is
soon approaching us
~ Christmas~
Snow Date for Full Day Kindergarten Registration
Full Day Kindergarten Registration 9am - 3pm
Interview Evening 7pm - 9pm
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Our Christmas Concert is scheduled for
Wednesday December 17th, 2014. We look
forward to the performances from our Glee Club
and our grade 1 to grade 3 classes.
To support our Christmas Outreach Initiative,
families are asked to bring in a non-perishable food
item. We look forward to a fun-filled evening.
More information coming!