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Good Shepherd’s Good News
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Ja n u ary 2 0 1 6
Good Shepherd Elementary School
28 Red River Drive
Brampton ON, L6R 2H9
Phone: 905.791.1039
Fax: 905.791.9856
Prayer for the New Year
Give us the kindness to hear with compassion,
to offer support, loving comfort and care.
Give us the courage to do what is needed, the wisdom to
choose what is right and most fair.
Give us the vision to see what is possible.
Give us the faith that we will pave the way for a present
that’s hopeful, a future that’s peaceful.
Give us the hearing to bring joy to each day.
Amen
Principal
A. Brunette
Vice Principal
S. Chambers
Office Staff
N. Jacques
Superintendent of Schools
L. Storey
(905) 890-0708 ext. 24240
Trustee
S. Xaviour
Parish
St. Marguerite d’Youville
(905) 792-7497
On behalf of the Good Shepherd staff, Happy New Year and welcome back!
We hope everyone had a safe and restful Christmas break. Once again, the
Helping Hands baskets, delivered to needy families in our parish, were overflowing with goodies and gifts, a testimony to our generous community. We
raised a net amount of approximately $550.00 that was used to provide
gifts and food to three families in our parish, in addition to the generous
donations of food and goods from our school community.
January is the time that we settle into the winter term and look forward to the
many exciting things that the remainder of the school year brings. Our grade
2, 7 and grade 8 students are continuing preparations to receive the
sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation—please keep them in
your prayers.
We wish everyone health and happiness for 2016! May we continue to strive
to make every day in our lives as beautiful and meaningful as Christmas
Day!
Pastor
Fr. Robert Mignella
IMPORTANT DATES
 Jan. 6th, 13th, 20st, 27th – Pizza Days
 Jan. 8th – Virtue Buddies Day
 Jan. 11th , 19th, 25th - Sub Days
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January Virtue of the Month – Self-Control
God wants us to do what we know and feel is
right.
A person with self-control …
• Is patient
• Knows how to wait his/her turn
• Can calm him/herself down and think
before reacting to situations
• Knows how to avoid physical aggression
• Can think things through
Self-Control helps us to resist the temptation to
do something that we will regret. It also helps us
to resist the temptation to do something that will
harm ourselves or others. Each time we exercise
self-control we grow stronger in the Lord and
invite peace to settle in our lives.
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Jan. 14th Parent Information Night for Grade
5 – 8 Extended French @ St. Jean Brebeuf
7 p.m.
Jan. 18th – P. A. Day - No School for students
Jan. 25th – Kindergarten registration night
Jan. 28th – Grad Photos
Jan. 27th – Family Literacy Day
Feb. 1st , 8th – Sub Days
Feb. 2nd – Report Cards sent home
Feb. 3th, 10th, 17th, 24th – Pizza Days
Feb. 4th – Term 1 Interview Evening
Feb. 5th – P.A. Day – No School for students
Feb. 10th – Ash Wednesday
Feb. 11th – School Council Meeting 6:00 p.m.
Feb 15th – Family Day – no school
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Good Shepherd’s Good News
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2016-17
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2016-2017
school year, will take place at Good Shepherd on:
Monday, January 25, 2016 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.* Wednesday,
January 27, 2016 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Thursday, January 28,
2016 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Friday, January 29, 2016 9 a.m. – 3
p.m. * Snow Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 7 p.m. - 9
p.m.
For more information about registration and the Full-Day
Kindergarten program, call 905-791-1039, visit the board
website at www.dpcdsb.org, or call the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board at 905-890-1221.
Extended French Information Meeting
Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to enroll their child in
a Grade 5 Extended French class for September 2016, are
invited to attend an information meeting at:
St. Jean Brebeuf
63 Glenforest Rd. Brampton
905-791-8529
Thursday, January 14th, 2016 @ 7:00 p.m.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday, February 16th,
2016 @ 3:00 p.m.
Bus Cancellations and/or School Closures
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 a.m. and will be
announced on the following radio stations:
VIRGIN RADIO 99.9
CHUM 1050
CFTR 680
CFNY 102.1
CJCL 590
CHFI 98.1
CFRB 1010
EZ ROCK 97.3
CJBC (FR) 860
Z103.5
93.1 FM
CFTO
CITYPULSE
GLOBAL NEWS
CBC
CHIN100.7
FM/1540 AM
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Winter Dress
All children should have hats, scarves, gloves, warm
coats and boots, labeled with their name (and send
extras too!). This will enable them to enjoy a fresh
breath of air at recess time! Students who wish to
play in the snow MUST have snow pants.
Let it Snow!!
Snow is always an attraction on the yard. We expect
that students will build and play in the snow and
enjoy our Canadian weather. Students are reminded
of our school rules surrounding snow. Throwing of
snow is not allowed for any reason. Snow is to
remain on the ground at all times.
School Driveway/Kiss & Ride Lanes/Crosswalk
We respectfully ask that drivers refrain from stopping
or parking in the drive – thru or Kiss & Ride lanes at
the side of the school. This area is a FIRE ROUTE and
fines for a violation are high. Stopped or parked cars
also create a safety hazard for your children.
Please note students should never be dropped off in
the bus lane and at no time should cars be left in the
bus zone at the front of the school. Cars can be
ticketed here as it is a fire lane.
Furthermore, for safety purposes, please use the
crosswalk when escorting your children to and from
the parking lot.
All students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. or after
12:30 p.m. must obtain a Late Slip from the office.
Information is also available on the board website.
If an announcement is made that buses are cancelled in
“Dufferin County” only – this does not include our school
and buses will run as scheduled.
Please continue to check www.stopr.ca for cancellations
and delays as needed.
R.A.I.D – Reduce Abuse in Drugs
Project R.A.I.D. - Reduce Abuse in
Drugs, is a multi-session drug
education and awareness program
delivered to our grade six students
by Peel Regional Police Officers.
These sessions will take place each
week throughout the months of
January and February. The program
deals with drug awareness, selfesteem and decision making.
Family Literacy Day – January 27th 2016
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. Please visit
http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/family-literacy-day for
more information.
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Good Shepherd’s Good News
Term 1 Report Cards
Please be reminded that a
Term 1 Report Card will be
sent home on Tuesday,
February 2nd.
Parent / student / teacher interviews will be scheduled
for the evening of Thursday, February 4 th and during the
day on Friday, February 5th.
Parents will receive interview scheduling forms to
request interview times. Please be aware, there will not
be report cards for junior and senior kindergarten
students, however interviews will be available for the
parents of kindergarten students.
No Food For Any Occasions – School Policy
We are asking parents/guardians to ensure that their
children eat only the food they bring from home (and
not share food), and that they do not send or bring
food to school for other children to celebrate birthdays
and other festivities. When food is sent to school, it can
be disruptive to learning and may be shared without the
knowledge and/or consent of other parents, which is
problematic in that it may not always be nutritious and
because classmates may have potentially lifethreatening allergies.
Nevertheless, the school also recognizes that food is
socially important, and an integral aspect of our Faith.
With this in mind, a number of school-sponsored events
which include food will continue, (such as Pizza Days,
sub days, milk and cookies etc.) however the school /
School Council will ensure the highest possible standards
of preparation and safety.
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Quiet Activity Club.
We are very excited to begin our second month in our
recess club. The Quiet Activity Club is available for
students in Grades 1 - 4. This is a recreational club
designed to give students who wanted to sign up an
alternative space to spend recess once a week. We do
'unwinding' types of activities such as colouring, reading,
board games and sometimes play dough. Students are
encouraged to talk quietly and given an opportunity to
make and meet new friends or de-clutter. The first
month of our club has been a great success with an
overwhelming number of students requesting to join.
Materials are available at the club for all students to use,
and many children bring their own supplies to share. We
would like to take this opportunity to thank members of
our community who have generously donated colouring
books for our members to use.
P.A.L.S.
Year of Mercy
The motto, "Merciful
Like the Father," he
said, "serves as an
invitation to follow the
merciful example of the
Father who asks us not
to judge or condemn but
to forgive and to give
love and forgiveness
without measure."
Happy New Year and welcome back to our P.A.L.S.
leaders and participants. P.A.L.S. is (Playground Activity
Leaders) run twice a week at lunch recess. Our Grade 4
and 5 students who volunteered to be P.A.L.S.
leaders trained with our Peel Health Nurse in various out
door games and leadership activities designed to engage
students in grades 1 - 3 in fun outdoor play activities.
The program started running in December and was met
with lots of enthusiasm and interest from our students.
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Good Shepherd’s Good News
The Wellness Committee
STAYING HEALTHY
The best ways to reduce the risk
of becoming ill or spreading flu
viruses include:
• Wash your hands frequently:
Wash your hands often with soap
and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially
after you cough or sneeze.
• Practise good hygiene: Cover your nose and mouth
with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the
tissue in the trash after you use it. If you don’t have a
tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve or elbow. Avoid
touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are spread
this way.
• Stay Healthy: Eat healthy foods, stay physically active
and get adequate rest to keep your immune system
strong. [Also, no sharing food].
• Monitor your health: If you develop flu-like symptoms
(fever, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, shortness of
breath), stay home from school or work and limit your
contact with others while you are sick. Parents may
want to consider contacting their doctor or call
Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000 if your symptoms get
worse.
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Coming Soon!
Beginning in February, every class in our school will
receive five lessons of Line dancing from Future Steps.
The cost for this program will be covered by the money
we have raised from our pizza sales. Parents will be
invited to our Line Dancing Showcase on May 5, 2016,
during Catholic Education Week. All classes will showcase
the dances they have learned.
School Council
OAPCE
The Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education
present the 77th Conference, AGM and Gala Dinner:
“Different Gifts: One Voice” May 6th & 7th, 2016 at
Madona Catholic Secondary School, Toronto. Mass to be
celebrated by His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins.
Safe Arrival
For safety reasons, it is very important to notify the
school if your child is going to be absent or late. Please
call 905-791-1039 and press 1 to leave a message if
your child is going to be absent or late.
Late Arrivals
We have noticed a dramatic increase in students
arriving late. With the colder weather and the increase
in traffic in the Kiss and Ride lanes please prepare to
leave a little earlier to get to school for the 8:45 start.
Late students should be checking into the office to
obtain a late slip. We will continue to monitor late
arrivals and send communication home regarding this
should your child demonstrate frequent late arrival to
school.
Student Council
Student Council will be continuing to sell cookies and
popcorn every Friday. Cookies will be sold for $1.50.
Popcorn will be selling for $2.00. The flavours include
kettle corn, butter salt, caramel and white cheddar.
Living Nativity
On December 10, the community of Good Shepherd School
came together to present our second Living Nativity. The
students performed beautiful dramatic tableaus of the
nativity while the choir sang angelically. Just as it was in
Bethlehem on that silent night two thousand years ago,
we all came together in the name of our faith and all were
welcomed. The living nativity was a perfect reminder of
what Christmas is all about. Photos from the Living
Nativity will be posted on our school website.
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