SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School SAT 1 25 Mount Royal Circle Brampton, Ont. L6P 1W3 3 All Soul’s Day 4 5 6 Picture retake day, AM Meet & Greet the School Council in the gym 6-7pm, followed by School Council Meeting, 7pm 7 8 Coat Drive 9 10 11 12 13 Remembrance Day Assembly, 10:45am Lockdown drill, AM Interview evening (as needed for particular students) Progress Reports go home 14 15 P.A. Day - No school for students Coat Drive 16 17 18 Silvercreek trip for Zanella & Champsi 19 20 21 Intermediate volleyball tournament Math Night for parents, begins at 6pm Anti-bullying presentation, grades 2-8 Chapters Night FUNdraiser, 52 Quarry Edge Drive, 6:30— 9:00pm Financial Literacy at 7pm Wear pink today! 22 “Use Less Stuff Day” Bullying Awareness Week—Stand Up! 23 24 30 25 26 27 Parent First Communion information meeting, 7pm, Cardinal Ambrozic Secondary School Parent Confirmation information meeting, 7pm, Cardinal Ambrozic Secondary School 28 29 Virtue Assembly, 2pm “Buy Nothing Day” National Jersey Day A PRAYER FOR PEACE Spirit of God, move again over the waters of your creation, drawing life from the chaos. Bring reconciliation to the nations, removing the bitterness, greed and hatred that divide our hearts. Inspire the minds of all leaders with care for the needs of their people. Let truth be standard as we seek to bring about a fair sharing of the goods of the earth. Help us to know you, the Father and Jesus, calling to mind Jesus’ words: “As often as you did it to one of these, the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me”. Help us also remember today and throughout the year to be at peace with ourselves and accept others as God made them. Amen. —B. Arbour Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation Registration, 2 to 7 pm at St. Patrick’s church, second week of advent 10 Family Advent mass with Fr. Vito Marziliano, 7pm in the school gym 13 Christmas with Santa, 11am to 2pm, in the school gym 13-14 Communion & Confirmation enrolment mass weekend at St. Patrick’s Church, third week of advent 19 School wide Advent retreat, Virtue assembly and caroling in the gym 20-21 Communion & Confirmation enrolment mass weekend at St. Patrick’s Church, fourth week of advent 22 Christmas holidays begin Principal Sonia Rotino Secretary Mary Doria ~ Superintendent Max Vecchiarino Trustee Scott McLauchlan Parish Priest Fr. Vito Marziliano Visit our School Website: REMEMBRANCE DAY Remembrance Day gives us an opportunity to pay respects to the more than 100,000 Canadians who have lost their lives in wars and peace keeping duties for Canada. Remembrance Day began after the end of the First World War which ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. On November 11, our school will honour those who have served and died in World War I, World War II, Korea and in all peace missions. A liturgical service will be held in the school gym at 10:45 a.m. Parents are welcome to join us. During the month of November we will focus on the virtue of Conscience. God has given us the ability to know the right and decent way to act and then to act that way. We trust that the common Spirit we share inspires us and guides us to make good decisions if we allow our conscience to be well-formed. A person of conscience allows prayer and scripture to influence him/her. www.dpcdsb.org/lourd DPCDSB is now on Twitter! For the latest board news and information, follow us @DPCDSBSchools. www.connect2ENDviolence.ca Upcoming Events - December 7 FAX (905) 913-2918 November 2014 All Saint’s Day 2 Phone (905) 913-1703 THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE Thank you to all those who contributed the many canned and nonperishable food items during our Thanksgiving drive. The food was donated to the Knight’s Table in order to help the less fortunate in our community. May God bless you for all your help. November 2014 Our Lady of Lourdes 2014-2015 LITURGICAL DATES If your child has not yet been baptized and you wish to take the opportunity this year to celebrate his/her baptism, please contact the school and let us know, or speak directly to Fr. Vito Marziliano, our new pastor at St. Patrick’s Church (905/794-0486), or email at church@stpatrickswildfield.com Please note that a child 7 years of age or older needs to participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC), preparing the child for baptism at Easter. If your child is in grade 3 or older and has not yet celebrated his/her First Confession/First Communion and you wish to take the opportunity this year to celebrate the Sacraments, please contact the school, or speak directly to Fr. Vito (Tel. 905/7940486), or email at church@stpatrickswildfield.com. Parent Information Evening for Confirmation - Wednesday, November 26, 7 pm, at Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School Parent Information Evening for Reconciliation and First Communion - Tuesday, November 25, 7 pm, at Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School Registration for Confirmation - Sunday, December 7, from 2 to 7 pm at St. Patrick`s Church Registration for Reconciliation and First Communion Sunday, December 7, from 2 to 7 pm at St. Patrick`s Church Enrolment Mass for Grade 2 Communion and 8 Confirmation candidates Saturday December 13, 5:00 mass Sunday December 14, 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM andhow 11:30 AM (in Italian) No matter insignificant, we will notify you whenever your child receives any kind of head injury of which we are aware. If we do not see or you at dismissal and we are unable to contact you or leave a message, a Saturday December 20, 5:00 mass the student agenda. Our school policy is in recognition Sundaydanger December 21, 8:30involving AM, 10:00 and 11:30 of the potential of anything the AM head area. Please do not AM (in Italian) First Communion, Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 2:30 pm (Deputat) and 4:30 pm (Paolella), St. Patrick’s Church Confirmation, Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 12:00 (Sette) and 2:30 pm (Costabile), St. Patrick’s Church A LETTER FROM THE PARISH Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, Administrators and Students: Greetings and Blessings to you all, and all your loved ones. November begins with a very special focus on SAINTS, i.e., men, women and children who have been models of the faith and have been true to their baptismal commitment. Yes, it is in Baptism that we all become “Saints”. It is in Baptism that being united to Christ, the True Saint, the Only Saint, we share in his divine life and embrace the title of being “beloved children of our heavenly Father”. At times many other issues take over, and it becomes a bit difficult to manifest all that the Lord has done in us and through us. Yet, each moment is a new opportunity to begin again, through God’s grace, that journey of holiness which we have been called to follow. Religion is more than simply a subject children study at school. It is a window through which we get to know more who we are. Let us therefore acknowledge that over and above every other name, title, position we each hold, there is that reality that we are “Saints”… yes, all of us, and in each one of us there is a reflection of Jesus. Let us see “Jesus” in everyone. Let us help others see “Jesus” in us. Thank you for sharing the journey of faith with us, here at school and in our parish. Wishing you blessings and peace. Fr. Vito Marziliano, Pastor. Page 2 ALL SAINTS’ AND ALL SOULS’ DAY While the secular world moves towards the celebration of the Christmas season at this time of year, we are reminded as Catholics of the importance of the feast days of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day celebrated in the Roman Rite. All Saints’ Day, celebrated on November 1, reminds our community of all who have lived faithful lives in the Church. This day is a part of the liturgical calendar of events, and we remember our Saints in our prayers. The historical roots of this celebration have to do with those martyrs who died in the early Church. Later, Pope Gregory VII declared this day to be the date we remember all who have lived and died for their faith. On All Souls Day, November 2, our faith remembers all who have died and we remember those with liturgies, celebrations or prayers. Both dates remind students of the depth of our faith and our participation in the Church. We are reminded of the importance of celebrating our faith, preparing for the end of the liturgical year and Advent and the beginning of our new liturgical year. Continued Excellence in Catholic Education A message to Parents and Guardians Results from the spring 2014 administration of the EQAO primary division and junior division assessments of reading, writing and mathematics demonstrated that the proportion of Dufferin-Peel students achieving the provincial standard in Grades 3 and 6 continues to meet or exceed provincial averages for a sixth straight year. Within Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools, reading and writing in both Grades 3 and 6 have demonstrated significant growth over the last five years (spring 2009 through spring 2014), while mathematics achievement in these grades has shown some decline over time. The board continues to recognize the need to improve student learning in this key subject area. These results speak highly of our students and you, their parents and guardians, who support their education. They are also a clear reflection of the high degree of professionalism and dedication of our teaching and support staff, the commitment of our administrators and of the board of trustees towards supporting all students and ensuring their wellbeing and continuous achievement. In addition, they speak to the high level of collaboration, which to us, point to the heart and soul of a caring and committed Catholic school system, where every student is “each called by name” (Isaiah 43:1) to experience success. Congratulations to all on these very positive results and to the ongoing well-being and success of our students. The most recent results are presented below: Assessment 2013-2014 Our Lady of Lourdes Board Province Primary Division (Grades 1-3) Reading 77% 73% 70% Primary Division (Grades 1-3) Writing 89% 83% 78% Primary Division (Grades 1-3) Mathematics 73% 67% 67% Junior Division (Grades 4-6) Reading 89% 82% 79% Junior Division (Grades 4-6) Writing 82% 82% 78% Junior Division (Grades 4-6) Mathematics 79% 57% 54% ECO CLUB CORNER The Our Lady of Lourdes Eco-Team is very excited about all the activities we have planned for this school year. Some of the weekly initiatives that we started last month are: “Walk/Wheel to School Wednesdays”, “Take Back the Trash Thursdays” and “Flick Off Fridays.” ”Take Back the Trash Thursdays” is an initiative, in which we are encouraging students to bring a lunch to school on Thursdays with an effort to reduce the amount of waste in school (i.e., a lunch that contains no throwaway packaging, all food and drinks are packed in reusable containers and any uneaten food or waste material is returned home to be composted). Students on the Eco-Team will be visiting classes during the month of November to give tips on how to pack this type of lunch, and also to explain why this is such an important initiative. Also, we will be celebrating " Use Less Stuff Day" on November 21st and "Buy Nothing Day" on November 29th. "Buy Nothing Day" is an internationally recognized day that encourages people not to buy anything for one day. This initiative not only helps your wallet, but also the environment by reducing the amount of often unnecessary things we buy, which in turn will reduces future waste. This past month some of the students at Our Lady of Lourdes watched a presentation from Toronto Zoo about the Great Lakes. They learned about animals from the Great Lakes and why it is important to be a positive impact on the life of these animals. The children especially enjoyed the animal models that they could explore. A special thanks also goes out to students and teachers in grade 5-8 who participated in the October Harvest Clean up of our adopted park. Thanks for keeping Lillie Roberts Park clean. Page 7 November 2014 Our Lady of Lourdes OUR LADY OF LOURDES PRESENTS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS MAKES LEADERS Math, Munchies & Money Thursday, November 20th, 2014 6:15 to 7:00 Math Event Is Math homework frustrating you? Would you like some information on how to help your child? Then come and join us to see what and how the children are learning math and how you can support their learning at home. A Math tool kit will be given to the first 15 registrants. This is a workshop for parents. Childcare is available please register on-line. 7:00 –7:15 Munchies! Join other families in the community for a chance to catch up while enjoying some appetizers and refreshments . 7:15 to 8:15 Financial Literacy In today's complex world, young people need a wide range of skills and knowledge to make informed choices about their financial decisions. A speaker at United Way Youth Groups, A. Rizvi, from Edward Jones will join us and provide parents with tips and tools to help their child(ren) in the talk about practical money skills; basic banking concepts; the importance of budgeting and saving; and skills for students to practice balancing their own budgets. Page 6 This is open to all parents with children grade JK-8. Children in grade 5 + can attend and participate with their parents. Child-minding activities will be available for younger children. Register for one or both workshops at; https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BMGLM7M by November 15 HOMEWORK TIP OF THE MONTH Designate a quiet working space. Congratulations to all of the students on our Cross Country Team who represented our school at the family meet on October 24 at Heart Lake Conservation Park. Special mention goes to the students who advanced to the Board meet on Thursday, October 30 at Centennial Park in Etobicoke: Thank you to Mrs. Cavarretta, Mrs. Iannucci, Mr. Sette, Ms. Trentin and our parent volunteer Mr. Talamo for coaching the team. Our boys and girls Junior Volleyball team competed in a mini tournament held here at Lourdes on Friday, October 10. Our girls advanced to the Family Level tournament which took place Friday, October 17 at St. John Bosco. They played well at the family tournament; however, they did not advance to the regionals. Congratulations to both the boys’ and girls’ teams who played with heart and determination. Thank you to Ms. Ignoto, Mrs. Malfara and Mrs. Rennick for coaching the teams. Our Intermediate Boys and Girls Volleyball teams are beginning to practice for their upcoming tournament on Wednesday, November 19, at St. Andre Bessette. Thank you to Mr. Costabile, Ms. Ignoto, Mr. Sette and Ms. Trentin for coaching the teams. Sponsored by Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School Council, Funded by the Parent Reaching Out (PRO) Grant REMINDERS AND RESOURCES: COLD AND FLU SEASON As cold and flu season approaches, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board continues to be vigilant in ensuring that our schools are clean and that our school communities are educated regarding good hand hygiene and cough etiquette. These practices are promoted on an ongoing basis, but as the prevalence of colds and flu increases, our board increases the cleaning of contact surfaces, as well as reminds schools to review cold and flu prevention with students and staff. Many resources are utilized from our regional health units. A reminder, as well, that communicable diseases can be contracted in public places throughout the year. For example, cold-related viruses, such as Enterovirus, are transferred from person to person through hand contact. Cold and flu viruses typically peak from December through February, but can start as early as October. Please assist us by reviewing good hand washing procedures, as well as other preventative measures, as outlined in the various Peel Health resources available to you through their website. As always, children who are unwell, should be kept at home. Also available on the Peel Health website is the schedules of local Flu Clinics: http:// www.peelregion.ca/flu/clinics/ For more information, visit the Peel Health website: http://www.peelregion.ca/health. Direct links to the above information can be found in the Parent Section of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board website at www.dpcdsb.org. Page 6 RAINBOW LUNCHES TIPS Did you know: Vitamin D is one of few vitamins produced by your body Your body could produce up to 10,000 units in a 20 minute period on a sunny day You cannot get the benefits of vitamin D from sunlight when sitting inside a sunny room or in a car; the sunlight must be direct The further you live from the equator, the more sun you will need A human would have to drink approximately 10 tall glasses of milk each day to get the daily recommendation of Vitamin D For the complete Nutritional Newsletter from Rainbow Lunches, see our website: http://www.dpcdsb.org/LOURD/Parents/Nu tritional+Newsletter.htm OUR LADY OF LOURDES LUNCHES & TREAT DAYS Pizza lunch will be on the following Wednesdays: Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26 Dec. 3, 10 and 17 Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28 Mr. Sub lunches will be offered on the following Fridays: Nov. 7, 21 and 28 Dec. 5, 12 and 19 All lunches must be pre-ordered each term and returned to the school on the due date. Cookies, baked chips & popcorn will be sold on Fridays for $1.00 each. Thank you to the school council volunteers who will be assisting with the co-ordination and organization of money and forms for other lunch programs this year such as Rainbow lunches. OLOL CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL Please join us on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. for our meeting. Provide a space for your child to do homework in an area that is free from distractions such as the television, computer games, friends, pets, and telephones. The Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board’s homework policy may be viewed in full at dpcdsb.org/homework. MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATION Loyola Catholic Secondary School Council presents a mental health presentation for all parents and educators featuring guest speaker Dan McGann, MSW, RSW, Adolescent Team Social Worker On November 10, 2014 at 7:00pm In the Loyola Lecture Hall Loyola Catholic Secondary School 4010 Sladeview Cres., Mississauga. Dan McGann is a social worker with over 30 years experience of working with children and adolescents. For more information, call 905-820-9822. This event is free and no reservation is required. STUDENT COUNCIL Our grade 7 and 8 students were involved in Student Council Elections. We congratulate our elected officials: Martina S. (Prime Minister), Joshua G. (Premier) and Sasha B. (Mayor). We thank everyone involved in this democratic process and look forward to the contributions they will be making to enhance our school life. IMMUNIZATIONS January 9, 2015 Dose 2 Grade 8 Human Papillomavirus Hepatitis B catch-up (for grade 8 students who have not completed the 2 dose Hepatitis B vaccine series) Meningococcal vaccinations (for grade 7 students) Page 3 November 2014 Our Lady of Lourdes NATIONAL JERSEY DAY FRENCH IMMERSION INFORMATION MEETING Friday, November 28 Senior Kindergarten parents/guardians, who wish to enroll their child in a Grade 1 French Immersion class for September, 2015 are invited to attend an information meeting. The designated French Immersion centre for Our Lady of Lourdes is Our Lady of Providence. For further information, please see the board website http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/Programs/French+Immersion/ Dig out your favourite jersey, team or club uniform and wear it to school or out to play! Join the country in rallying support for Sports Day in – a national celebration of Sport at all levels. LATENESS Many students are still arriving late to school in the morning. When students are late, the learning is disrupted for both the student who has just arrived and for those who are already present in the class. Being on time: Demonstrates that you are diligent and dependable Shows that you have respect for other people and that you care as much about their time as your own Sets a good example Builds self-confidence and success Eliminates disturbances for your classmates Ensures you are present for the beginning of the day’s lesson Means that you hear important information on the morning announcements Being punctual assures you’re at your best. Learn to improve your chances for academic success by being right on time--all the time! French Immersion centres Session location Our Lady of Providence St Angela Merici Our Lady of Providence St Joachim Tues. Nov. 25, 2014, 7:00 p.m. EXTENDED FRENCH INFORMATION MEETING 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: Wednesday, January 14, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. St. Jean Brébeuf, 63 Glenforest Road, Brampton, 905‐791‐8529 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. LIBRARY CORNER Thank you for your support of the QSP magazine program again this year! We will purchase new literacy items for the school library with the profits from this fundraiser. The campaign has now ended; however, you are still able to order or renew your magazines throughout the year on the website using our group code of 3745825. Any questions or difficulty with delivery of your subscriptions should be directed to QSP Customer Service at 1-800667-2536. Thank you for supporting the OLOL School Library. DRESS FOR THE WEATHER Now that the weather is colder, we respectfully remind you to ensure that your children come to school dressed warmly to participate in recess. When weather conditions are severe, we may reduce the outdoor playtime, or have indoor recess entirely. Fresh air and exercise are vital components for successful learning, so we will endeavour to have children play outside whenever possible. For health reasons and to help keep the school clean, we ask all students to have indoor shoes. Thank you for your support. Page 4 Date and time COAT DRIVE Do you have coats that you don’t need anymore? Please Donate them! Winter is coming and there are people in our city who could use a warm coat. Please drop them off at school between November 3 and 13, 2014. Help keep someone warm this winter by working together Loving Brampton one family at a time!!! Also collecting hats, mittens, scarves and boots. A PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO ARE BULLIED A Prayer for Anti-Bullying Week, November 17-21 Let us remember that when we laugh at someone, they feel pain. Let us remember that when we pick on someone they are angry but also afraid. Let us remember that when we don't stick up for someone who is being bullied, they are alone. Let us remember that we bully because we want to feel strong, the boss. But are we? What have we done? We have forgotten our own fear by making others frightened. We have forgotten our own loneliness by leaving one of us alone. We have hidden our own nightmare in another's terror. It is no longer enough to be sorry. It is no longer enough to boast and swagger. These attitudes are hollow, skating on the thin ice of our own fears, our own hates. May we have the courage to confront ourselves in the 'not me', 'don't want to know', 'it's their problem', I'm not involved'. May we have the courage to confront ourselves in the 'I'm right', I'm me and it's my world, not theirs'. For we are all hurt, all afraid, all alone, all different, all me, and the world is all ours. We all have only one life. "Prayer for Those Who Are Bullied." Prayer for Those Who Are Bullied. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.hibbertassembly.org.uk/bullying/Eila'sprayer.htm>. You’re invited to a FUNdraiser for… Our Lady of Lourdes on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 At Chapters Brampton 52 Quarry Edge Dr., (905) 456 7177 From 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm Chapters Brampton and the staff of Our Lady of Lourdes cordially invite you to a community FUNdraising event. Come out and go shopping while supporting Our Lady of Lourdes. With every purchase of regularly priced, in-store items at Chapters Brampton on this special evening, 20% of the purchase will be donated directly back to the school! Choose from a wide selection of book, gifts, toys, magazines, music and much more! Your purchase will make a difference. Please join us to see how much fun giving back to Our Lady of Lourdes can be! When you arrive at the store, please ensure that you register at the registration desk, which will be located directly inside the main doors. Hope to see you there! Please note, in order to ensure the most successful and profitable FUNdraiser possible for Our Lady of Lourdes any discounts (including iRewards, Plum Rewards, Bestsellers, etc.) will not be in effect during the event, and the purchase of Gift Certificates, Membership Cards, Electronics and Love of Reading Donations do not count towards the FUNdraiser. SCHOOL LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE It is a policy in the Dufferin Peel CDSB that all of its schools conduct a “Lockdown Procedure” twice a year. This will be initiated should an emergency exist on school property or in the surrounding neighbourhood. We will have a Lockdown Drill with our staff and students on the morning of Wednesday, November 12. If you come to the school at that time, the doors will be locked and you will not be allowed to enter the building until the Lockdown drill has been completed. Students and staff have been instructed that when they hear the announcement "INITIATE LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES" over the public address system, followed by the "repeated ringing of the school bell", all staff and students will take the following action: A) All students and staff inside the building should go to the nearest room and close or lock the door. B) All students and staff once in the room must lay on the floor away from doors and windows. C) All students and staff in the room are to remain on the floor until further instructions are provided. D) All students and staff that are outside of the building, are to quickly move as far away from the building as possible and remain there until further instructions are provided. Our Primary evacuation site is Mount Royal School and our Secondary site is Holy Spirit Elementary School. The procedure will be conducted with as much sensitivity as possible in order not to cause undue concern for students. The staff and students will remain focused and vigilant in following the procedures. Our second Lockdown drill will not be until the spring. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school. Page 5 REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICES 2014 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION Branch 609 Parade and Service of Remembrance Sunday, November 9, 10:45 am Donald M.Gordon Chinguacousy Park Branch 15 and 609 Sunrise Service Tuesday, November 11, 7:55 am Meadowvale Cemetery Chapel, 7732 Mavis Road Branch 15 Parade and Service of Remembrance Tuesday, November 11, 10:55 am Memorial Square Cenotaph, Brampton City Hall www.brampton.ca