Good Shepherd’s Good News
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
No v e m b er 2 0 1 5
Prayer for Veterans
Good Shepherd Elementary School
28 Red River Drive
Brampton ON, L6R 2H9
Phone: 905.791.1039
Fax: 905.791.9856
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
Help me to understand why:
There is war instead of peace,
There is hatred instead of love,
There is lying in place of the truth.
Give me the courage, strength and wisdom
To teach others the meaning of peace love and truth,
So that we can make this world a better place for all to live in harmony.
Loving Father, have mercy on Your people, and open our hearts to peace and
love. Reward all who have died for their country, and grant that Canada and all
nations continue to work for peace and justice, bless us in your services, and help
us to follow Jesus Christ, who is Saviour and our Lord forever and ever. Amen
We believe November, the month of remembrance, begins with the
celebration of Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween, which takes place the
night before All Saints Day. The word “hallow” is another word for
saint, a holy person. Although we need to be vigilant about all images
and celebrations of the secular world that may contradict our
relationship with God, we know that nothing can separate us from the
strength of Jesus and the joy of his resurrection. For Catholics, the two
celebrations help us to focus upon Christ’s triumph over evil and the
hope of salvation for those whose witness to Christ is an inspiration. It
is a reminder of the invitation to holiness and to becoming the saints
we are all called to be. On All Souls Day, we remember and pray for
our relatives and loved ones who have died, and we are comforted by
the knowledge that they have found eternal rest with our Lord. On
November 11th, Remembrance Day, we commemorate the courage of
our veterans and all of those who have died so that we may live in
freedom and peace.
Pastor
Fr. Robert Mignella
November Virtue of the Month – 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. A person of conscience…
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Chooses to do the “right thing” and feels
good about it
Can see how his/her actions may hurt
others
Admits his/her wrong-doings and feels
badly
Says “sorry‟ and tries to make up for
mistakes
Keeps promises
IMPORTANT DATES
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Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Sub Days
Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25 Pizza Days
Nov. 4
Gr. 8s to d’Youville
Nov. 6
Virtue Buddies
Nov. 9
Faith Ambassadors to CFFC (Dr. Simone)
Nov. 11
Remembrance Day
Nov. 12
School Council Meeting 6 p.m.
Nov. 16-20 Bullying Awareness and Prevention
Week (events all week)
Nov. 17
Progress Reports sent home
Nov. 18
Confirmation retreat
Nov. 19
Progress Report Interview Evening
Dec. 3
Virtue Buddies
Dec. 3
School Council Meeting 6 p.m.
Dec. 4
Santa Photos 1 – 4
Dec. 9
Advent Mass 1 p.m.
Dec. 10
Living Nativity Night
Dec. 21-Jan.3 Christmas Vacation
Page 2 of 4
Good Shepherd’s Good News
French Immersion Information Meeting
Year 2(SK) Kindergarten parents/guardians, who wish to
enroll their child in a grade 1 French Immersion class for
September, 2016 are invited to attend an information
meeting at:
French Immersion
Centers
Our Lady of
Providence,
St. Angela Merici,
St. Joachim
Session
Location
St. Angela
Merici
Date and Time
Wednesday
November 11th
at 7:00 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
DPCDSB has four announcements in regards to
cancellations. Please listen for the following two
announcements (out of four) which will affect our school
community.
“THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE
CANCELLED.”
This means that: ALL Transportation services provided by
the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and The
Peel District School Board, including buses, vans and taxis
have been cancelled for the entire day.
“THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERIN-PEEL
CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED.”
This means that: ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board and Peel District School Board schools and offices are
closed to all students and staff.
Information is also available on the board website.
Dropping Off Lunches
As mentioned in previous newsletters, with our new front
door monitoring system we are asking parents to ensure
that students bring their lunches with them to school in the
morning. If it is necessary to drop off a lunch for your
child please ensure that it is at the school before 11:30.
Lunches may be left on the lunch table in the front foyer
and labelled with your child’s name and grade. For safety
reasons, students will not be permitted to run out to a
waiting car to receive their lunch. Thank you for your
cooperation in this matter.
Goodbye & Welcome
We would like to say goodbye to Ms. Bailey and Ms.
Laughlin who were covering for Ms. McCollum and Ms.
Gabil, you will both be greatly missed. We would also like
to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Fernandez and Ms. Kent
who join the Good Shepherd staff.
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Holy Name of Mary Information Night
All Grade 8 girls and their parents/guardians are
invited to a Grade 9 Information Evening on Thursday,
November 19th, 6:30 p.m. at 115 Glenvale Blvd. in
Brampton.
HEALTH AND SAFETY -Allergies
Several of our children have life-threatening allergies
to nuts and nut byproducts. We are requesting, in the
spirit of caring for all members of the community,
that you consider the health needs of all our
students. To that end, please refrain from sending
nut products to school in your child’s lunch and
snack. This includes products such as WOW butter.
These products do not contain peanuts however there
is no way to distinguish the difference. Additionally,
these products contain soy products which is another
known allergen for students in our school.
Health and Hygiene
Please be aware that children who are unwell should
not be at school. Please ensure that we have the
most current and accurate contact information for
parents/guardian on file in the office. If your child
becomes ill during the school day we will contact
you, or your designated caregiver, to pick up your
child. If you are unable to come to the school during
the school day, please arrange to have a neighbor,
friend or relative who can pick up your child in case
of illness. We are not able to care for sick children at
school.
Winter Dress
Please ensure your children come to school prepared
to participate in all outdoor recess breaks. 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! For health reasons and
to help keep the school clean, we ask all students to
have indoor shoes. You may also wish to pack a spare
set of clothes, especially socks, pants and gloves, in
case your child becomes wet during recess. This
would allow them to change into more comfortable
clothes and eliminate the need to disturb parents for
new clothes.
Safe Arrival Program
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.
Good Shepherd’s Living Nativity
Page 3 of 4
Good Shepherd’s Good News
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.
Regional Health Unit Resources
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.
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
Student Council
We have had a super start to the year! Our Halloween
dance was a great hit; a good time was had by all the
students.
Our Halloween cookie sales were also very
successful. We would like to thank everyone who made a
donation to the dance, and who supported our cookie
sales. During the month of November, we will be selling
cookies as well as popcorn. We are also hoping to have
some spirit days in November.
Stay tuned for more
information.
At Home Reading
Did you know you can access children’s
books online? Go to www.bramlib.on.ca
and explore what is available.
Once on the Brampton Library website:
Go to: Children - Reading Resources
-On line Books and more
Scroll down and select: Tumble Books or Story Line Online
Youth Faith Ambassadors
Flu Clinics
Also available on the Peel Health website, are the
schedules of local Flu Clinics.
For more information, visit the health unit website:
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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
We are looking for donations of
Lego, colouring books, crayons
for our upcoming Activities club. If you have any
please send them to school.
Thank you.
School Council News
Next council meeting is November 12th at 6pm
Terry Fox
The Good Shepherd community donated $514.85 for the
Terry Fox foundation. Thank you for your continued
support to such an important charity.
Progress Reports
Progress Reports will be sent home on Tuesday,
November 17th. This report will provide you with an
indicator of how your child is progressing. Teachers may
request a meeting with you, which will take place
during the evening of Thursday, November 19th. The
first formal interviews will not take place until the Term
One Report Card, in February.
You should have
received an interview request form already.
On October 23rd our Youth Faith Ambassadors (YFA’s)
attended a commissioning ceremony held at Holy Family
Church together with other Youth Faith Ambassadors in
our Brampton East, Caledon, Dufferin, Malton family of
schools. The students had the opportunity to participate
in a family mass, and several activities to assist in their
faith development. The students represented our school
wonderfully that day.
SOAP FOR HOPE/CARE TO SHARE YOUR HALLOWEEN
TREATS campaigns will take place until November 6.
YFA’s will be collecting bars of soap and Halloween candy
and chocolates to take to Dr. Simone's Canadian Food
for Children (CFFC) warehouse on Nov. 9th. CFFC is a
non-profit organization that ships food and other needed
items to people living in developing countries. Soap is an
item many of us take for granted. For our brothers and
sisters in the Global South, soap represents hope, respect
and dignity. Candy is used for medical purposes in
developing countries. To these children it could mean the
difference between life and death. Malnourishment stops
the digestive system from working. The sugar in the candy
helps the digestive system to re-start.
Cross Country
On Friday, October 16, 2015, 26 students from grades 4-8
participated in the Family of Schools Cross Country Meet
at Monora Park in Orangeville. Despite the weather, the
students
demonstrated
great
sportsmanship
and
represented Good Shepherd proudly.
Page 4 of 4
Good Shepherd’s Good News
Bullying…it’s a relationship problem
Everything about bullying can be summed up in one
statement: bullying is a relationship problem. It
simply comes down to a power imbalance in a
relationship - one person uses power to cause distress
to another. The distress can be caused many different
ways: physically, verbally, through exclusion, rumours
or gossip, racial harassment and many more. Being
safe in relationships is a fundamental human right.
That’s why the week of November 16-20 is Bullying
Awareness Week.
What more can parents do? Here are some tips for you
from Prevnet, a trusted authority on bullying:
1.Be a role model. Parents set the tone for family
relationships and children are watching how you use
power. Show them that you respect and support
others. Set a good example by coping with your own
frustration, and resolving conflicts in a positive way
– that is without yelling, manipulating, or any other
behaviour that causes distress to others.
2.Be honest with yourself. Ask yourself how your child
deals with conflict, anger or frustration. Ask yourself
if your child has an attitude of, or tendency toward
being hurtful to others.
3.Promote diversity and acceptance of people who
differ from your family. Talk about how
stereotypes about race, religion or other individual
differences are hurtful.
4.Talk, talk, talk. It’s up to you to start the
conversation. Talk to your child about the importance
of healthy relationships and be a source of support for
them.
5.Enjoy being with your child. A healthy and positive
parent-child relationship is the basis for all healthy
relationship skills like social skills, trust and respect
for others.
www.dpcdsb.org/gshep
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.
Thursday, January 14th, 2016 @ 7:00 p.m.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday, February 16th,
2016 @ 3:00 p.m.
French Homework Help
The Program Department has obtained a one-year
subscription with VoilaLearning.com. This is a FREE
Online Homework Help in French available Monday to
Thursday from 5 – 8 p.m.
http://voilalearning.com/en/parentvideo
Full-Day Kindergarten Registration for 2016-17
Registration for Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2016-17
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 or visit
www.dpcdsb.org.
A Focus on Math
This year, the community of learners at Good Shepherd
(staff, students, parents) will continue to focus on the
teaching and learning of Mathematics.
Pizza/Sub Fundraising Programs
Thank you to all families who have placed orders for our
Pizza/Sub fundraising programs. All proceeds will be
used to support student activities and presentations
within the school.
The theme for Catholic Education Week 2016
Opening Doors of Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”
– Matthew 5:7
Developing a ‘growth mindset’ towards math:
It’s important to let your child know that everyone can
learn math. Recent brain research is showing that we are
not born with fixed abilities. With effort and hard work
we can learn anything! This is an important message to
give your child particularly in the area of math where we
sometimes think that there are people who are born good
at math, and the rest are not and never will be.
Everyone can learn math!
The development of a
positive attitude towards learning mathematics is crucial
for our children as they develop their mathematics
knowledge and skills throughout elementary school. At
home talk about the ways you use math every day e.g.,
measuring in a recipe, paying bills, counting money,
interpreting baseball/hockey scores, etc. Have fun with
math.