Pastoral Plan
2015-2016
PASTORAL PLAN
School Name:
School Mission Statement:
These words have risen from the actions taken by our name sake, St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
Like our patron saint, we hope to create an environment of peace as we become peace makers within our school
community, and sending that message of peace out to others.
Like our patron saint, we hope to love unconditionally the way Jesus taught us.
To love others regardless of the differences knowing that we are all made in the image of God.
Like our patron saint, we hope to demonstrate the importance of service to others, as we work to reach out to
make this world a better place following Jesus’ examples of servant leadership. Like our patron saint, we
hope to strive for excellence and work to build and enhance our skills in order to reach our true potential
striving to build on the gifts given to us by our Lord.
We are St. Bernard of Clairvaux
School Motto: Peace, Love, Service, Excellence
School Focus and Theme: Acceptance: “We All Belong to God’s Family”
Pastoral Plan Links to Strategic Plan/Catholic Board Learning Plan:
 Link: Strategic Plan 2014-2019 Strategic System Plan
 Link: Catholic Board Learning Plan CBLP 2013-2016
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Pastoral Plan
2015-2016
Strategic Plan: Catholicity
At St. Bernard of Clairvaux School, we are called to affirm our Catholic faith in word and action in all that
we do. We strive to do this by:
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Modelling gospel values in our daily interactions (staff and students)
Infusing gospel values across the curriculum
Explicitly teaching our Religion and Family Life Curriculum
Embedding our virtues program into our daily practice (morning announcements, assemblies,
awards at assemblies, virtues think sheet (Reflections)
Engaging in daily classroom prayer at the beginning of the day, lunch hour and dismissal
Celebrating mass as a school community regularly throughout the year
Reciting the Rosary in the months of November and May
Engaging in Adult Faith formation activities (staff liturgies)
Serving the needs of others in our community and the community at large through social
justice initiatives such as: Food drives, Candy Drive for Kids, Hat and Mitten Drive, Christmas
Adopt-A-Family
Catholic Board Learning Plan:
Creating Catholic Conditions for Well-Being, Learning and Leading
At St. Bernard of Clairvaux School, we strive to create a safe, caring, healthy, inclusive and accepting
school community. We do this by:
• Modelling, daily, for our students, what it means to be caring and inclusive
• Embedding our virtues program into our daily practice (morning announcements, assemblies,
awards at assemblies, virtues think sheet (Reflections)
• Having a PALS program to promote inclusion and cooperation
• Having Peel Police Presentations for all grades
• Inviting Guest Speakers aligned to the Virtues
In addition, this year, we are focusing on Acceptance, with a school theme of, We All Belong to God’s
Family.” We will be focusing our efforts to help make our school a more accepting place by: o
Introducing to the staff and students, our student leadership group (BEARS squad), our school
focus of acceptance and our theme, “We all belong to God’s family,” and our school song “We are
family.”
o Rewriting the CSI pledge as our acceptance pledge, share it with the students,
and place a copy in all classrooms
o Encouraging all classes to create an acceptance song/chant/poem
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Pastoral Plan
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o Providing students with opportunities to be involved in school-wide days such as
Peace Day, International Day of Pink and Raise the Flag for Autism o Beginnning
to introduce “WITS” to students to promote positive problem-solving o Teaching
school-wide lessons to help prevent bullying
Through our actions and efforts, we hope to see an increase in the proportion of students indicating that
they feel accepted by the students in school as demonstrated in the CCCC School Climate Survey results.
We feel that if students feel more accepted, there will be less incidences of bullying
Our Parish: St. Josephine Bakhita
Pastor: Rev. Mark Villanueva
Parish website: www.stjosephinebakhita.ca
Message from the Pastor:
To The School Community of St. Bernard of Clairvaux:
Greetings in the Lord!
St. Josephine Bakhita Parish recognizes that strong parish-home-school connections are
foundational to supporting the development of students in the Ontario Catholic School system.
We will continue to guide and support the work of schools in Sacramental preparation. Through
the continuation of sharing best practices with our elementary schools, students will affirm their
Catholic faith in word and action through a variety of initiatives. We wish the students of St.
Bernard of Clairvaux School a blessed and fruitful school year and moving forward, look ahead to
the success of all students.
Sincerely yours,
Rev. Mark Achilles Villanueva
Pastor
Message from the Catholic School Council:
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Pastoral Plan
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The Catholic School Advisory Council (CSAC) of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Elementary
School works collaboratively with the administration and teaching team to ensure all CSAC
initiatives consistently reflect the virtues of our Catholic faith. We recognize the value in Catholic
education, and the importance of parent involvement in the faith and academic development of
our students thus maximizing their respective achievements and well-being.
Catholic Education Week Theme: Opening the Doors to Mercy
Throughout Catholic Education Week, we ask you to reflect on the significance of Catholic education’s
presence and contribution in our Church, and in our society.
May 1 – 6, 2016 is Catholic Education Week.
Catholic Education Week Activities:
 Staff provided with a picture book that is shared with students
 Multicultural Night
 Crowning of Mary
 Hats off for Kids – Sick Kids Walk
 Parents invited into classrooms for a variety of activities
Faith Formation:
Forming ourselves in our Catholic faith is a foundational element in helping each of us
understand and live in the example of Christ.
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Faith Ambassador gatherings for staff
School Wide Liturgical celebrations and gatherings
Staff Liturgies and Reflections
Student led morning announcements and prayers
Daily classroom prayer: beginning of the day, lunch and dismissal
Rosary being said weekly in November and May
Focus on monthly virtues
Religious Education/Family Life programme
Sacramental Preparation:
As Catholic we understand sacraments to be "outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace."
Together in partnership with our parish, we support the preparation of God’s children in
receiving the sacraments.
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Pastoral Plan
Event
Grade 2
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Sacrament of Confirmation
Sacrament of Confirmation
Sacrament of Holy Eucharist
Tuesday February 23, 2016
2015-2016
Grade 7 and 8
Friday April 22, 2016 (Grade 8)
Friday May 13, 2016 (Grade 7)
Sunday May 8, 2016
Liturgical Celebrations:
The Liturgical calendar is marked by the gathering in community to celebrate the Eucharist and
share in prayer.
Celebration
Date
Beginning of Year Mass
Thursday September 24, 2015
Advent Mass
Friday December 11, 2015
Ash Wednesday Liturgy
Wednesday February 10, 2016
Lenten Mass
Thursday March 3, 2016
Crowning of Mary
Monday May 9, 2016
End of Year Mass
Tuesday June 21, 2016
Graduation Mass
Tuesday June 28, 2016
Social Justice / Outreach Activities / Charities:
Catholic Social Teachings of the Church root our actions in supporting human dignity and the
preferential option of the poor which calls us to serve the most vulnerable in the world.
September
Terry Fox Walk/Run/Staff participation at Wilf Hartzenburg – United
Way Walk/Run/Rollerblade
October
Food Drive for Eden Food Bank
November
Candies for Kids (Dr. Simone)
December
Christmas Baskets-Adopt-A-Family, Hat and Mitten Tree
February
Share Life
March
Share Life – Spirit Week
April
Autism Awareness
May
Walk for Sick Kids Hospital
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Recognizing Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:
Framed by the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGE), our graduates will be
effective communicators, reflective thinkers, lifelong learners, collaborative contributors, caring
family members, responsible citizens and discerning believers formed in the Catholic faith
community.
To celebrate OCSGE, we as a school community:
 Provide many opportunities for student leadership and voice – kindergarten helpers,
office helpers, PALS leaders, Peer Mediators, BEARS Squad (Believing, Encouraging,
Accepting, Respecting, Safe School Squad) MC’s for school gatherings
 Provide many opportunities for students to grow in faith – BEARS squad, student led
opening exercises and prayer, student led staff liturgies, rosary club, a variety of social
justice initiatives
 Provide many opportunities for student interaction, communication and collaboration
– games club, intramurals, a variety of team sports and clubs, the use of PEDs in the
classroom, the use of class VLE’s, Twitter
 Provide opportunities for student reflection and life-long learning - use of descriptive
feedback, emphasis on learning skills and goal setting, progressive discipline and
restorative justice, growth mindset, best practices in the classroom
Celebrating Virtues:
A virtue is a habit or established capacity to perform good actions according to a moral
standard. When we practice these virtues we strengthen them and thereby make the presence
of God more and more visible in the world around us.
Virtues Assemblies
Living my faith award
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Pastoral Plan
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Daily virtue prayer over the PA
Classroom teaching
Virtues bulletin boards and banners
Virtues Reflections Page entitled,”Resolutions.”
Visible Signs of our Faith:
Through symbol and service, we are instruments of God’s love whose work within our
communities stands as a witness to our faith.
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Faith Ambassadors gatherings for staff
School Wide Liturgical celebrations and gatherings and Rosaries
Staff Liturgies and Reflections
Student led morning announcements
Daily classroom prayer: beginning of the day, lunch and dismissal
The foyer of the school welcomes students, staff, parents and visitors in a Faith-filled
community. The signs of our Faith, including the altar, the mural and the Virtues display, are
visual reminders of our common heritage and the liturgical seasons and our school motto.
Classrooms have a prayer table/corner for individual prayer opportunities/focus for class
celebrations
Daily Religious/Family Life Education
Informal living and teaching of our faith occurs throughout our day in our treatment/respect
of others
Missionary presentations to students
Mural in the gymnasium
Student faith leaders
Virtues bulletin boards and banners
“Faithbook” and other displays of our Religious Education work in the hallways  Virtues
assemblies
Book displays in the library that connect to our faith/virtues
Resource List for Parents/Guardians:
• Religious Education Curriculum - Ontario Religious Education Curriculum
• Family Life Curriculum - Ontario Family Life Curriculum
• Fully Alive Program information - Ontario Bishops' information on Fully Alive
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Pastoral Plan
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Resource List for Schools:
Board
• Vocations Units
We have Vocations units as part of the Grades 2, 5, and 8 curriculum. The goal of these
supplementary units is to deepen one’s understanding of God’s call – the “vocare” – to
various forms of life within the Church.
• History of the Parish
Through the resource book Our Story, Our Tradition, Our Journey, grade 7 students have
the opportunity to learn about the history of our parish.
• Enduring Gift Video
School-Based
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