January 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
1
The Virtue for
FRI
2
Our Lady of Lourdes
Catholic Elementary School
SAT
3
25 Mount Royal Circle
January is
SELF-CONTROL
4
6
7
8
9
Kindergarten
differing abilities
meeting at the
CEC, 7pm
HPV and Hepatitis
and Meningitis
vaccinations
HOLIDAYS
12
18
13
19
20
14
15
Extended French
Information
Meeting at
Brebeuf, 7pm
School mass,
1:00pm
21
22
10
A PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR
O Lord, as the years change, may we find rest in your eternal changelessness.
Help us to meet this new year bravely, in the faith that,
while life changes all around us, you are always the same,
guiding us with your wisdom and protecting us with your love,
through our Savior Jesus Christ.”
(prayer by William Temple, 1881-1944)
Scientists in the
School, Grade 1
16
23
17
Happy New Year and welcome back to school! We hope you enjoyed a very restful and
peaceful Christmas break with family and friends. As we enter into the next part of this
school year, we look forward to our continued partnership with you in the spiritual,
academic and social development of your children. On behalf of our staff, we wish to
thank you for your ongoing support with the various activities here at Our Lady of
Lourdes. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2015!
24
P.A. Day
NO SCHOOL FOR
STUDENTS
25
26
Phone (905) 913-1703
FAX (905) 913-2918
January 2015
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
5
11
Brampton, Ont. L6P 1W3
Principal
Sonia Rotino
Secretary
Mary Doria
~
Superintendent
Max Vecchiarino
Trustee
Shawn Xaviour
Parish Priest
2014-2015 LITURGICAL DATES
27
28
29
Grade 8
Graduation Photos
School Council
Meeting, 7pm
Family Literacy
Day
Literacy
Presentation, 8:30
30
31
Self Control Virtue
Assembly, 2:00pm
Full Day Kindergarten Registration (see pg. 3 of newsletter for details)
Upcoming Events
February
March
13
Lent Liturgy, 9:30am







School Mass, Thursday, January 15 at 1:00 pm in
the school gym
Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day Liturgy,
Wednesday, February 11, 9:30 am, school gym
Ash Wednesday Para Liturgy, Wednesday,
February 18, 1:00 pm in the school gym
School Mass, Friday, March 13, 9:30 am in the
school gym
Stations of the Cross Para Liturgy, Thursday, April
2, 1:30 pm in the school gym
Easter School Mass, Thursday, April 16, 9:30 am
in the school gym
First Communion, Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 2:30
pm (Deputat) and 4:30 pm (Paolella), St. Patrick’s
Church
Crowning of Mary School Mass, Wednesday,
May 13, 1:30 pm in the school gym
Confirmation, Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 12:00
(Sette) and 2:30 pm (Costabile), St. Patrick’s Church
Year End School Mass, Thursday, June 25, 1:30
pm in the school gym
VIRTUE OF THE
MONTH
Visit our School Website:
God has given us the ability to
choose. We are able to control
how we react to what happens
around us. Through prayer and
concentration, we can improve
at controlling our reactions. We
can get better at showing selfcontrol. Self-control helps us to
resist the temptation to do
something that we will regret
and helps us make good
choices.
2
Saidat Anti-bullying presentation
3
Term 1 Reports go home
5
Parent/Teacher Interview Evening
6
P.A. Day - Reporting to Parents
11
Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day Liturgy, 9:30am
13
Valentine’s Day dance, all grades
2
Holy Thursday, Easter Food Drive ends, Stations of the
Cross Presentation, 2:00pm
14
Valentine’s Day
3
Good Friday
16
Family Day—no school for students
5
Easter Sunday
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY
17
Shrove Tuesday
6
Easter Monday
18
Ash Wednesday Para liturgy, 1:00pm
8
Lockdown Drill
24
International Student Program information night
We would like to thank the parents, students and teachers who contributed to the Food
Drive for the Knight’s Table, Toys for Tots for the Peel Regional Police, Coats for Kids,
B.A.G.S and letters for our Canadian Armed Forces soldiers. Thank you for your generosity
and giving spirit during the Advent season.
16-20 Mid-winter Break—No school for students
23
Easter Food Drive begins


April
22

School Council Meeting, 7pm
Fr. Vito Marziliano
This day is dedicated to
evaluation of pupil progress
and report card preparation.
There will be no classes for
students on this day.
www.dpcdsb.org/lourd
DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For
the latest board news and
information, follow us
@DPCDSBSchools.
www.connect2ENDviolence.ca
Our Lady of Lourdes
January 2015
KISS AND RIDE AND THE PARKING LOT
Thank you to all our parents who have been obeying all
the parking signage on and around our school property.
The Kiss and Ride lane allows an adult to drop-off or pick
up their child without getting out of the vehicle. Vehicles
should never be left unattended in the Kiss and Ride lane.
The area in front of the school is a designated fire route.
There is no stopping at the front of the school at any
time. This area is for buses and emergency vehicles only.
Your cooperation for the good of all our student
population is appreciated.
To ensure the safety of our students we require all parents
using the program to follow the procedures outlined
below:

Use the Kiss and Ride lane to drop off or pick up your
child

Do not use the drive-thru lane for dropping off or
picking up children

Move up the Kiss and Ride lane as far as possible to
maximize the number of cars using the program

Do not get out of your vehicle

Do not back up

Students must be able to exit and enter the car
independently

Students must exit the car using the passenger side
doors only
Community members are reminded that parking on school
property overnight is not permitted. During the winter
months, snow removal equipment must be able to remove
the snow. Vehicles remaining on the property overnight or
during the day, that do not belong to staff or to parents
volunteering during the day, will be towed away at the
owner’s expense.
STAYING IN FOR RECESS
In the colder weather we receive numerous requests to
allow children to remain indoors when
students have a cold, flu, etc. We
cannot comply, as we neither have the
facilities nor the staff to supervise these
students. Moreover, Health Officials
indicate that fresh air is good for
children, not harmful, as long as students are dressed
appropriately. 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.) With the exception of
these occasions, we expect all children will go outdoors
for recess and during their lunch break. If your child is too
ill to participate in recess, they should stay at home.
Page 2
LUNCH & TREAT DAYS
Pizza days are Wednesday, January 7, 14,
21 and 28. Forms will be sent home for pizza
orders from February to June.
are on Tuesday, January 6, 13
20 and 27.
Extreme Pita days are Friday, January 9, 16,
23 and 30.
Treat Days will be offered on Fridays and we will be
selling popcorn, baked chips and Terra Cotta cookies for
$1.00 each.
Thank you all for your generosity in
our Christmas food drive. We collected
25 boxes of food for the Knight’s
Table.
We had a great response for our Candy Grams,
selling just over 1500 Candy Grams! Student
Council collected just under $450 to go towards student
activities. Thank you to everyone for their ongoing support.
Thank you to everyone who donated new, unwrapped toys to the Peel Regional Police’s Toys For Tots
program. Our Student Council members crammed the cruiser with 10 garbage bags worth of toys!
REPORTING - INTERVIEWS
The Student-Parent-Teacher Interview is designed to
complement the Ontario Report Card by enabling parents
to communicate with teachers, to offer useful information,
and to ask relevant questions about their child’s progress
in order to support their child’s learning.
A formal written report will be sent home on Tuesday,
February 3, 2015. Interviews will be held during the
evening on Thursday, February 5. and on
Friday, February 6. You will receive a
form in the near future that will allow you
to indicate your preference for interview
time.
WEATHER CANCELLATIONS
Please be advised that 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 am, and will be announced on the following radio
and television stations:
Virgin Radio 99.9 FM
CJCL AM 590
AM 1540
CHUM 1050
CHFI FM 98.1
FM Q 107
CFTR AM 680
CFRB AM 1010
FM 93.1
CFNY FM 102.1
EZ ROCK FM 97.3
GLOBAL NEWS
CFTO
CJBC (FR) AM 860
CITY PULSE
CBC 99.1
AM 640
CTV
CHIN FM 100.7
FM Z103.5
When the buses are cancelled in Caledon and the County of
Dufferin, it DOES NOT affect Our Lady of Lourdes.
A bus cancellation and/or school closure message will be
posted on the Board's main webpage at
www.dpcdsb.org, on Twitter @DPCDSBSchools and on the
Board's phone message system at 905-890-1221.
We had a wonderful Advent Mass on December 9. We collected numerous toys for the Peel Regional Police Toys For Tots
program, B.A.G.S. (Be a Giving Source) and food for the Knight’s Table. Thank you to Fr. Vito Marziliano for taking time out of
his busy Christmas schedule to be with Our Lady of Lourdes.
Stay tuned for events coming up in February!!!
CATHOLIC RATEPAYERS CHECK YOUR 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 support is
directed to your local Catholic school
board, in our case, the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board.
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. In order to be eligible to vote
for your local Catholic
school board trustee,
you must be registered
as a separate school
supporter.
ECO TEAM
Happy New Year from the Our Lady of Lourdes Eco-Team, we hope
everyone had a green holiday! This year we will be participating in the
Ontario EcoSchools program for the fourth time. Our school is hoping to
become a gold level EcoSchool again this year, by continuing initiatives from
last year, and adding new ones. One of our initiatives that we are continuing
from last year is “Walk/Wheel to School Wednesdays.” Although it is cold
outside, we encourage students to walk to school on Wednesdays, not only
because it is environmentally friendly, but also it’s good for your health. Here
are some tips for dressing for winter walking:

Keep hands and head covered to prevent heat loss

Wear warm, waterproof boots

Wear a warm coat that deflects the wind

Wear woolen clothing to help retain the heat
Wear clothing or carry knapsacks with reflective material – it’s important
to be seen
If possible, change wet clothes at school – tuck an extra pair of socks and
mitts into knapsacks
Below -25oC is considered too cold for walking so move your walk indoors or select another day for outdoor
activities or walking to school



Taken from www.saferoutestoschool
Page 7
Our Lady of Lourdes
January 2015
SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
The students and staff have already completed School
Climate Surveys. One parent from every family is invited
to complete the School Climate Survey. All you have to do
is type the link in the browser bar and press enter. Thank
you for your input into our school climate.
Thank you very much to the School Council who organized
a Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 13, 2014.
Lunch was delicious, the company was enjoyable and the
visit from Santa Claus himself was very much appreciated.
Our newly elected Trustee Shawn Xaviour also dropped
by to meet the community. Families had the opportunity to
take a photograph with Santa. Each family received a
bell with a complimentary Round Trip Ticket to the North
Pole with a message encouraging all to Believe in the
Spirit of Christmas.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/OLOL201415A
Thank you to council for offering the
opportunity for our families to gather
together to celebrate the season.
Thanks to the generosity of the School Council, students in
grades JK to 3 will be provided with access to the online
reading program Raz Kids. This is an excellent program
that is tailored to each child’s reading level and students
earn online rewards for each book read. Regular use of
the program to strengthen your child’s literacy skills is
strongly encouraged. Thank you to School Council for
providing the funds to purchase this great resource! Stay
tuned for further information.
Wear your Our Lady of Lourdes
Spirit Wear every Friday!
PARENT EVENING TO SUPPORT THE
TRANSITION OF STUDENTS WITH
DIFFERING ABILITIES INTO KINDERGARTEN
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s Special
Education and Support Services Department will host a
Kindergarten entry planning information session. This
meeting is for parents and guardians of children with
differing abilities which affect their learning, such as vision,
hearing, speech, autism, physical/medical and/or
developmental delays in the cognitive and/or motor
areas, who are entering Kindergarten in September 2015.
For more information about this session, call 905-8900708 ext. 24011.
Thursday, January 8, 2015 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
*Snow Date: January 13, 2015
At the Catholic Education Centre – Room 301 (Third
Floor), 40 Matheson Boulevard West, Mississauga
(Hurontario & Matheson)
For more information, parents/guardians should contact
their local Catholic school, visit the board website at
www.dpcdsb.org, or call the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District
School Board at 905-890-1221.
PLAYING SAFELY IN THE WINTER
In order to ensure the safety of all students, Our Lady of
Lourdes has a strict rule forbidding the throwing of
snowballs, kicking snow at others and “snow jobs”. These
activities therefore are not permitted in the schoolyard.
Every student has been made aware of the importance of
this rule.
We encourage our students to constructively use the snow
that winter brings us, to build snow people, forts,
sculptures, etc. Please assist us by reviewing with your
child the dangers of throwing snowballs and the
importance of preventing injury to other children. This will
help to make our school yard a safe place for all our
students during the winter.
School Yard Rules
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS!
DPCDSB Community Programs from Adult and Continuing Education
Winter 2015 DPCDSB Adult and Continuing Education program flyers arrive at your doorstep the week of January 6,
2015. You are invited to join in these exciting community programs.

Keep your hands & feet to yourself

Use appropriate language

Respect all persons
Computer ABC’s Day Program
Health and Fitness
English as a Second Language

Respect all property
Car Maintenance for Women
Adult Coop and Credit
Citizenship and ESL Classes

Play non-contact games only
Secondary Night School Credit
General Interest Programs
Much Much More

Stay on school property
French as a Second Language
International Languages

Leave food inside
Leave rocks, stones, and snow on the ground
Please review these rules and expectations with your
children.

Register now for lifelong learning opportunities! Call 905- 891-9263 ext.0 or www.dpcdsb.org/cec/cne
Page 6
Page 3
Our Lady of Lourdes
FAMILY LITERACY DAY APPROACHES!
Family Literacy Day is a national
awareness initiative created by ABC
Life Literacy Canada in 1999 and held
annually on January 27 to raise
awareness of the importance of
reading and engaging in other literacyrelated activities as a family.
Taking time every day to read or do a
learning activity with children is crucial
to a child’s development. Even just 15
minutes a day can improve a child’s
literacy skills dramatically, and can
help a parent improve their skills as
well.
Here are some great ways to get
started: Visit the ABC Life Literacy
website for more fun literacy activities
you can complete as a family!
http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/familyliteracy-day
January 2015
TOOTHY TIPS FOR PARENTS
EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING
Current information on dental health in Peel
indicates that more than 1 in 3 children have
been affected by cavities. Cavities can lead to
infections in the mouth, pain, poor eating habits,
speech problems and expensive dental
treatment. Here are some tips for you and your
children:
 Have your children brush their teeth two
times a day for at least two minutes each
time.
 Supervise and help your child with brushing
and flossing until they are able to tie their
own shoelaces.
 Use ‘Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide’
(www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide) to
choose healthy foods and snacks to help
prevent the start of cavities.
Grade 4 parent(s)/guardian(s), who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5
Extended French class for September, 2015 are invited to attend an
information meeting:
IT`S HEARING & VISION SCREENING TIME!
NATIONAL SWEATER DAY
School Screening Association will be visiting our school this year on
February 26, 2015 to conduct their clinic. Your child’s hearing and
vision should be screened every year.
National Sweater Day will be observed boardwide on Thursday, February 5, 2015, providing
an opportunity for employees and students to
learn about the importance of saving energy,
while at the same time, reminding us to use less
heat throughout the winter. Here at Our Lady of
Lourdes, we are excited about participating in
this initiative.
The heat in our school, classrooms and other
board facilitates will be turned down by 2% on
National Sweater Day and students and
employees are encouraged to wear a sweater.
So on this day, please remember to dress
accordingly.
and one of the best ways to prevent hearing loss is early
detection of middle ear function issues.
 A visit to an audiologist costs upwards of $50.00 and is not
covered by O.H.I.P. However, if your child is referred to a
hospital clinic by your doctor, the cost is covered by O.H.I.P.
 Your child’s hearing is not being monitored unless they are
being seen by an Audiologist or and E.N.T.
 A Free vision screeing is included with the Hearing Clinic. Eye
Examinations are covered by OHIP.
A fee of $15.00 is collected to help offset the cost of bringing this
clinic to our school. A permission form will be sent home with your
child, approximately 2 weeks before the clinic date. Please fill out
the form, include $15.00 fee and return to the school prior to the
clinic date.
Good Grades start with Good Hearing and Vision
Page 4
St. Jean Brébeuf, 63 Glenforest Road, Brampton
At the present time, St. Jean Brébeuf is the designated centre for our area.
Any student who is eligible to attend a Dufferin-Peel school and is currently in
grade 4, is eligible to enroll in the extended French program for grade 5 in
September 2015.
HEAD INJURIES
As per Board protocol, each time a student sustains a head injury the incident
will be logged and followed up with a phone call home. A “Concussions are
Serious” pamphlet will go home with each student for whom a head injury is
reported. It is recommended that parents review the
pamphlet and look for signs and symptoms of a concussion.
When phoning in your child’s absence, please
press 1 to leave a message on the attendance
line as opposed to pressing 0 to reach the office.
Mrs. Doria regularly checks the messages for
attendance reports.
Our Junior Girls and Boys basketball teams will be starting their
season in January. As well, our Primary fitness club is in full swing!
 Growing children are very susceptible to middle ear problems
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
“I ordered pizza or pitas or Rainbow Lunch and it didn’t come!”
Yes, sadly despite the best efforts of our volunteers, it does happen that a preordered lunch does not make it to the student. Fortunately it is a rare
occurrence but if it does happen here is what you do:

Tell the Supervisor on Duty. Every classroom is monitored at lunchtime.
There is ALWAYS a supervisor to tell.

Report what is missing. We will find a solution!
Remember: You have to tell someone or we can’t help you!
Parents, if you could discuss this with your child, it would be greatly
appreciated.
SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m.
All parents are welcome
There will be a Literacy presentation as well beginning at 8:30 for any
parents who would like to attend. We will be discussing the Comprehension
Strategies that are used in order to get meaning from reading.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR SHOES
Students should have a pair of indoor
shoes to wear at school in class and
for gym. Outdoor shoes/boots will be
kept for outdoor use only and out of
the classrooms in order to reduce the
amount of dirt and mud brought
indoors. This will assist our custodian
and staff in keeping the
school clean. Thank you
for your co-operation.
YUMMY LUNCHES...TASTY
SNACKS!
Healthy eating plays an important
role in a child’s growth and learning.
Kids need to develop healthy eating
habits at a young age. A healthy
lunch contains one food from three out
of the four food groups from
Canada’s Food Guide. These food
groups are: "Vegetables and Fruit",
"Grain products", "Milk and
Alternatives" and "Meat and
Alternatives".
 Snacks, limited to two or three
times a day and well before
meals, will not interfere with a
child’s appetite
 Water is important for brain
function and hydration
Tips for Parents
• Choose “fruit juice” over “fruit
drink”. Look for juices that contain
100% fruit juice. “Fruit drinks” are
made up of sugar, flavorings and
some vitamin C.
• Involve children! Kids are more
likely to eat a lunch that they
helped to prepare.
• Surprise your kids once in a while.
Add a couple cookies, a handful of
popcorn, an ‘I love you’ note or a
little gift to their lunch.
For more info call Region of Peel –
Public Health at 905-799-7700 or
visit peelregion.ca/health
Helpful websites: dietitians.ca,
peel-obesity.ca and
eatrightontario.ca
Page 5
City of Brampton 2015 Programs
Winter programs have started.
It’s not too late to register!
- Swimming
- Skating
- Preschool
- Child/Youth Programs
- Adult Programs
- Fitness Classes
Register today to get started!
Need to know about a program
email or call us today!
Howden Recreation Centre
Alex Vieira
Alex.vieira@brampton.ca
905.793.4645 x 36548
-----------------------------------------
Greenbriar Recreation Centre
Sean Friedman
Sean.friedman@brampton.ca
905.791.2240 x 63395
For more information on any of our programs contact:
Howden Recreation Centre
150 Howden Blvd.
905.793.4645
Greenbriar Recreation Centre 1100 Central Park Dr. 905.791.2240
2015
y
a
d
s
Tue
Peel Regional Police
–
0
2
.
JA N . 1 0
FEB
LIMITED SEATING
REGISTER TODAY
TUESDAY EVENINGS
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
EMIL V. KOLB CENTRE
FOR POLICE EXCELLENCE
COMMUNITY ROOM
180 Derry Road East
Mississauga
905-453-2121
ext .
4021
REGISTER ON-LINE
www.peelpolice.ca
select
Crime Prevention • Academies & Seminars
Cyber Academy
* All 4 sessions MUST be attended
to receive certificate
P
CYBER Academy
eel Regional Police have developed a breakthrough concept in crime prevention, the CYBER Academy. The crime
prevention experts at Peel Regional Police have designed a certificate program* that will help keep you, your children
and families safe while using the Internet. During this course, you will learn the basics of:
JANUARY 20
JANUARY 27
FEBRUARY 3
FEBRUARY 10
PCYBER–FRAUD
PINTRODUCTION
P COMPUTER SAFETY
(passwords, firewalls, viruses,
spam)
P SOCIAL MEDIA
- social networking (facebook)
Unlocking The Secrets
(identity theft, phishing,
electronic banking, credit checks,
mail tampering)
P MEDIA
DISTRACTION
P CYBER–BULLYING
P MEDIA ADDICTION
Are You Hooked?
P PREDATORS /
CHILD EXPLOITATION
- child pornography
- on-line luring
- cyber-dating
At The Click Of A Mouse
(bullying on digital mediums,
computer, cell phone, records,
evidence)
DUE TO SUBJECT MATTER PARTICIPANTS MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE & OVER