ST. ANGELA MERICI

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109 West Park AvenueBradford, ON

L3Z 0A7

Principal: Mr. J. Almeida

Vice Principal: Mrs. S. Newman

School Office Administrator:Mrs. F. Gillard

School Office Assistant:Mrs. M. Vernon

Phone: (289) 231-2085Fax: (905) 657-0001

School E-mail:samoffice@smcdsb.on.ca

Superintendent: Ms. J. Dillon-Leitch

School Trustee: Ms. J. Salmon

School Hours

8:35 am Supervision Begins8:50 am Entry Bell10:50-11:05 am AM Recess11:45-12:05 pm Eating Lunch12:05-12:45 pm Lunch Recess2:05-2:20 pm PM Recess3:20 pm Dismissal

NEWSLETTER Principal’s Message

Catholic School Community Council Meeting

Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 14 at 7:00 pm in the school library. Please use the front doors.

The season of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. While our culture focuses mainly on preparing for Christmas in a variety of ways such as shopping, decorating, baking, and hosting and attending parties; our Church gives us this season of Advent to prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ, and the hope of his coming in glory at the end of time. A deliberate observance of Advent prepares us for a richer experience of Christmas. The Religious Education programs in our school help students observe Advent. The focus is on waiting through prayer, reflection, art, and action. Advent is a time to reflect on the gift of Jesus who came to save all people from the darkness of sin and death. Students are invited to journey as people of faith, hope, and love. We journey in faith, following the models of Mary, Joseph, and John the Baptist, who believed and trusted in God. We journey in hope, waiting for the Promised One and a kingdom of justice and peace, and we journey in love by making Christ's love present to the people around us. We will celebrate an Advent mass on Monday, December 14th at 10 AM with Fr. Allyn at Holy Martyrs of Japan Church. Parents are invited to join us. On behalf of the staff at St. Angela MeriCouncil Meeting Dateci Catholic School, I would like to wish you all an Advent season full of hope and a very festive Christmas!

DECEMBER 2015

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Going Home/Out For LunchJust a reminder that if your son or daughter is going out for lunch to a local restaurant, a note is required for each incident. When writing your note, please include your child’s name, date, and location to be visited.

Parking and Kiss n’ RideThank you for your co-operation in keeping our Kiss n’ Ride loop safe for our children. We will continue to work with all our families in maintaining a safe zone for our children during drop off and pick up times.

Christmas Concert 2015Important information was sent home last week about our Christmas concert.

Hard BallsWe had a few injuries involving a baseball. All students are reminded to keep hard balls, such as baseballs, at home. We want to keep everyone safe.

FieldOur students are anxious to begin using our grass field. Our staff are equally anxious! To ensure the grass takes, we have to keep off of it until mid May. This will ensure that we will have a decent playing surface for years to come. All students are thanked for their patience.

Safe Arrival/Attendance If your child is going to be either LATE or ABSENT from school for any reason, please call the school BEFORE 8:30am and leave a message on our 24-hour answering machine: (289) 231-2085 option 5.

The Lunch Lady NewsStarting in March, The Lunch Lady will be doing on-line ordering only, paper copies will not be available. If you have given The Lunch Lady your email address, you will receive an email when the new menu is available. Please email suev@thelunchlady.ca for late orders or inquiries.

Volleyball TournamentOn Monday, November 23rd, our Boys' and Girls' Volleyball Teams competed in a tournament sponsored by the South Simcoe Catholic Schools Sports Association. Both teams represented our school very well. Each player was a great ambassador for St. Angela Merici. Our girls lost in the semi-finals to the team that would eventually win the championship. Our boys also fought valiantly in the championship, falling short of a victory by only two points in each game. All players are congratulated for their incredible efforts. Thank you to our coaches: Ms. Bogardis and Mrs. Beninati; Mr. Ellis and Mr. Quinn.

EQAO Results Students who wrote the EQAO assessment last year (grade 3 or grade 6) have received their Individual Student Reports (ISR). If your child wrote the assessment and you have not received the ISR, please contact the office and speak with Mr. Almeida or Mrs. Newman.

The back of the ISR includes information about the school your child attended last year, as well as information about our board. Please note that there is no provincial data to share due to teacher-federation labour action in the English-language public school system.

Q: What weather zone is our school in? A: All Bradford schools are located in the South Weather Zone.

Q: Where Can I find information about bus cancellations or delays?A: Visit the direct link: www.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca This direct link can be accessed from our school or Board websites.

All Food Options are cancelled on Bus Cancellation Days!

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Parent LibraryWe are in the process of developing a Parent Library selection of books and other resources that parents can borrow from the school. Currently, our collection includes:

* Winning at Parenting... without beating your kids by Barbara Coloroso. DVD

* The Explosive Child. A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D.

* Mindful Parenting by Kristen Race, Ph.D.

* 10 mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn

* Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel, Forward by Max Lucado

* May you find comfort. a blessing for times of grieving by Joyce Rupp

* Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne, M.Ed

* Parenting Through The Storm: How to Handle the Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between by Ann Douglas.

* Beyond the Bake Sale. The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships by Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies.

If you would like to borrow any of these titles, please call the school, or send in a request to the office.

Bike RacksInstallation of our bike racks has been completed. For all students wishing to ride their bikes, we are asking that the bikes be secured to the bike racks closest to West Park. One set is directly outside the principal and vice principal's offices. The other set is located at the south west corner of the school.

Students are reminded to wear a properly-fitted helmet. When they arrive at the school, they are reminded to walk their bikes when on school property.

Parent-Teacher InterviewsIt was wonderful to see so many of our parents during the two days set aside for parent-teacher interviews (Thursday evening and Friday). Students are encouraged to reflect on some of the goals they have set for themselves and to develop a plan of action to help them achieve those goals. Students are also encouraged to seek support from their teachers to reach those goals. Your hard work will pay off!

Jesse TreeThank you to everyone who has supported our Jesse Tree initiative. Through your generosity, we are able to support six families in the Bradford community. There are still some items on the tree. If you have not had a chance to support this initiative but would like to, simply write a note in your child's agenda and the office staff will help select a gift wish tag. This tag will go home and we ask that the unwrapped gift be returned to St. Angela Merici as soon as possible. Thank you for your support.

Snow ValleyGrades 6-8 have the opportunity to go skiing, snowboarding or tubing/snowshoeing in the new year. Letters will be going home to the parents soon to see if there is enough interest.

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1 - Mr. Sub Lunch Day2 - Beninati/Wood at Bradford Valley Senior Centre3 - Grade 8 Parent Information @ 6:30pm - Holy Trinity - Holy Trinity Winter Games - grade 84 - Pizza Lunch Day - Swimming - Beninati7 - The Lunch Lady Day8 - Zucca’s Lunch Day9 - Hot Dog Lunch Day - Christmas Concert @ 6:30pm (detailed info sent home)10 - First Confession @ 7pm @ Holy Martyrs of Japan Church11 - Pizza Lunch Day - Kindergarten Christmas Concert @1:00 - Swimming - Beninati 14 - Advent Mass @ Holy Martyrs of Japan Church @ 10:00am - The Lunch Lady Day - Council Meeting @ 7 pm15 - Hot Dog Lunch Day16 - Beninati/Wood at Bradford Valley Senior Centre17- Swiss Chalet Lunch Day18- Pizza Lunch Day - Last day of school before Christmas Break

Skating News - Grades 1-8All students are required to wear a CSA-approved hockey helmet while skating. Permission Forms are going home this week. The following are the skating dates:

Mrs. Azevedo & Mrs. Murray - Tuesday, January 12 and Thursday, February 18 Mrs. Rogers & Mrs. Skillen - Wednesday, January 13 and Wednesday, February 24Mrs. Vetro & Ms Hasler - Thursday, January 14 and Thursday, February 25Mr. Bouchard & Ms. Allan - Tuesday, January 19 and Tuesday, March 8Ms. Foster & Mrs. Jeffries - Wednesday, January 20 and Wednesday, March 9Mrs. Veltri & Mr. Carvalho - Thursday, January 21 and Thursday, March 10Mrs. Cesnik & Mrs. C. Quinn - Tuesday, January 26 and Tuesday, March 22Mr. Hodgins & Mrs. Beninati - Thursday, January 28 and Wednesday, March 23Mrs. Wood & Ms. Malone - Tuesday, February 9 and Thursday, March 24Ms. Bogardis & Mr. Ellis Grade 7’s only - Thursday, February 11 and Wednesday, March 30Mr. Ellis Grade 8’s only & Mr. M. Quinn - Wednesday, February 17 and Thursday, March 31

If you were not asked to volunteer, please do not go to the arena as only parents contacted to volunteer are permitted to attend. Selected volunteers may not bring younger children with them.

4 - School resumes - The Lunch Lady Day6 - Fire Safety House - Azevedo & Murray - Mr. Sub Lunch Day8 - Pizza Lunch Day

Bullying Awareness and Prevention WeekNovember 16-20, our school focused on raising awareness about bullying and talked about ways to prevent hurtful acts. On the Thursday of that week, we all wore pink to show our commitment to this important cause. We regularly remind our students that this is a great way to raise awareness, but it really is a year-long effort. Check out Mrs. Weeks in her colourful attire.