Page 1

Principal Perspective

March is always a month of transition. We have just completed Term 1 and are preparing for the final push of Term 2. Our focus as a faith community turns to the most significant event in our Li-turgical Calendar – the Death and Resurrection of our Lord at Easter. We are so excited to see the building of our new school evolve. The contractor is working on pouring the foundation given the fan-tastic weather we experienced this winter. We continue to look forward to taking occupancy of our new space in early 2018. Please take time during March Break to reconnect with family and friends and celebrate life together. For any families who are trav-elling, we wish you a safe journey to and from your destination. God Bless, Cathy Kuntz Principal

St Brigid News

MARCH Mar 1: G8 - Explore future days - Conestoga College - 9-12 Mar 8: Boys' Basketball Tournament Mar 9: OCSGE Assembly - I am a Team Player - 2 pm

The last day of classes will be Friday March 10th. Students will be dismissed at the regular time, 3:05 pm. Classes will resume on Monday March 20, 2017.

Mar 13-17 - MARCH BREAK Mar 21: G7 HPV & Hep B, female G8 HPV Mar 22: G8 grad, SK Grad and sibling photos Mar 27: G4/5 and G5/6 trip to Children's Safety Village

APRIL Apr 5: OCSGE Assembly - I Care Apr 14: Good Friday Apr 17: Easter Monday Apr 19: Grade 3/4 and G4/5 trip to Shades Mill Apr 26: G2 First Communion Retreat - Christ Church 9-12 Apr 28: First Communion Rehearsal - Calvary Church 12:30

MARCH & APRIL

2017

At St. Brigid Catholic School we have:

Pride In What We Do and Say,

In All Our Work and When We Play

Important DATEs

To visit St. Brigid’s website go to…………………………………………………………..http://stbrigid.wcdsb.ca

Are you looking for a Fulfilling Volunteer Opportunity?

Are you interested in volunteering with children in Kindergarten and Grade 1? The Strong Start “Letters, Sounds and Words Program”, which is offered at our school, provides an opportunity for volunteers to work one on one with a kindergarten or grade 1 child.

What is the time commitment? A minimum of 30 minutes a week for ten weeks.

What is involved? The volunteer plays a variety of literacy games with a child to help him or her develop early reading skills. A four hour training program is provided for all volunteers prior to working with a child. De-tailed manuals and resources are also provided for volunteers. Children in the program really enjoy their time with the volunteer and make amazing gains in their early reading skills.

How to learn more about this opportunity? Contact Ms. LeDuc for more information about volunteering at our school in this valuable pro-gram. The Strong Start website also provides detailed information. Go to www.strongstart.ca, and click on the “Volunteer Experience” section of the website.

A Strong Start to reading happens when adults spend quality time with children on specially selected games and activities to develop literacy skills that position…..

Parking Lot Before &

After School

The front of our school is very busy both before and after school. The front of the school is reserved for school buses and handicap parking only—there is no stopping or parking. To drop off/pick up, please use the parking lot. It is always best to park and walk your children in or meet them at the front of the school.

We ask that students NOT cross the parking lot on their way to/from school, please walk along the side. Drivers in the parking lot are asked to check all direc-tions before moving their cars to ensure the area is clear of pedestrians. Thank you!

SK ,Grade 8 Grad, and

Sibling Pictures Mar. 22

Page 2

4rd Annual Valentine's Day Cake Walk On Tuesday, February 14th, the WE DAY/Social Justice Team planned and organized a very successful Cake Walk. A HUGE thank you goes out to all of the families who were able to donate beautifully decorated cakes for this event.

Our school raised $ 1,058.20!!! All proceeds will be do-nated to Free the Children (Education in Ecua-dor and fresh water).

In February, the Grade 8 students ventured to Ancaster, Ontario for a spiritual retreat to help foster community, leadership, and respect. The Grade 8's are encouraged to continue to build upon the activi-ties and ideas shared, and journey towards being "People of Hope" throughout their lives. Special thanks to Fonsina MacArthur and John Schneider who were our spiritual leaders in Mount Mary.

Page 2 St Brigid News

Education Week

May 1 - 5

WCDSB Extended Day Programs

We are planning for the 2017-18 school year

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the

Extended Day Program at your school, please express your interest by pre-registering

for the 2017-18 school year.

For schools already offering the Extended Day Program, this information helps us plan for growing Programs.

If your school is not currently offering the Extended Day Program, this information helps us assess the interest in the

Program. Extended Day Before and After School Programs

are offered where there is sufficient demand from parents To register visit www.wcdsb.ca

And follow the Extended Day Program links to 2017-18 Pre-registration.

Did you know the

Extended Day Programs………. Are led by knowledgeable Early Childhood Educators

Operate from 7:00 a.m. to school starting bell time and

school ending bell time to 6:00 p.m.

Are offered at your child’s school providing convenient,

consistent programming for parents and children

Allow for fulltime schedules or part time schedules that

follow a weekly recurring set of days

Are available for an affordable fee offering a variety of

payment methods, including most major credit cards

Are eligible for Region of Waterloo child care subsidy

Have ongoing registration throughout the school year

Would you like to know more about WCDSB Extended Day

Programs?

Email extended.day@wcdsb.ca

Or call 519-578-3660

Page 3

Page 3 St Brigid News

Sports News

Girls’ Volleyball Team On February 21st, the Intermediate Girls played their volley-ball tournament at Msgr Doyle in Cambridge. The girls dis-played hard work, skill, and sportsmanship on their way to a third place finish. They showed great resiliency and effort, coming back to win in 3 sets over St. Peter, as well as win-ning their matches over St. Gregory and St. Joseph, while only suffering a tough 3 set loss to eventual champions Christ the King. Mr. Loik is extremely proud of their sports-manship, dedication, and the way they represented St. Brigid. Way to go Girls!!! Girls Celtic volleyball players include: Jenny C, Lauren C, Phoenix C, Hailey D (absent), Ani G, Megan G, Grace H, Serena L, Alessia M, Sarah P, Alexandra S, Grade S, and Coach: Mr. Loik

Ontario Catholic Schools Graduate Expectation of the Month

I AM A TEAM PLAYER!

I co-operate with others in all that I do

I value everyone’s work

I respect and listen to others

I think of others before myself

I follow rules of fair play

I work hard in school so that I can build my

community and make it a better place

Because I am a team player, I know that “Together is Better”,

and we will live our lives like Jesus.

Boys’ Basketball Team Best of luck t o the Intermediate Boys' Basketball Team

who will be participating in the tournament on March 8th, at

St. Benedict's School.

Boys Celtic basketball players include: Ryan B, Joao C, Thomas C, Ben C, Sebastian D, Darrin E, Zander F, Payton L, Nevin K, Cole M, James P-G, Hudson T, Coach: Mr. Lund A special thank you to all the parents that are helping with driving.

Page 4

Again, we will be opening the Transportation Eligibility for the 2017-18 school year. Parents and students will be able to enter their address to see whether they are eligible for Transportation in September 2017. To find your Transportation Eligibility for the 2017-18 school year, please follow the instructions below;

Visit www.stswr.ca

Click “student login, which school do I attend, Trans-portation Eligibility” button

Click transportation eligibility

Change school year to 2017-18

Fill in the address and school board. Submit for eligi-bility.

For questions, please contact STSWR at (519) 650-4934, ext. 221

FitBit March 2017

10 Ways to Eat More Vegetables and Fruit

1.Boost Your Breakfast: Add berries, dried fruit or sliced banana to your cereal, yogurt or oatmeal. Try peppers, mushrooms, onions or chopped

greens in a delicious omelet.

2.Double the Veggies: Add extra vegetables into your soups, stir-fries, casseroles and pasta dishes. Load up on veggie toppings for pizzas and

sandwiches.

3.Salute the Snack: Revolve snack time around vegetables and fruit. Pre-cut or peel fruit like oranges to make it more appealing and easier to eat

quickly during snack breaks.

4.Take a Smoothie Break: Whip up large batches, freeze in single portions and take on the go when needed! Try adding a handful of greens with

fruit, yogurt, milk and ice.

5.Dig the Dip: Dip apples, pears or bananas in yogurt or one to two tablespoons of peanut butter. Veggies are great paired with hummus, salsa or

low fat sour cream. Try the easy dip recipe below, you can flavor it however you like!*

6.Reinvent the Chip: Bake thinly sliced sweet potatoes, beets, torn kale or collard greens to satisfy that crunch! Toss bite-sized pieces in a small

amount of vegetable oil and your choice of spices before baking until crispy.

7.Weekly Featured Vegetable: Give everyone in the family their own week to choose a feature vegetable to cook with. Try to choose vegetables

that are in season.

8.Use Frozen Veggies (and Fruit!): Over the winter buy more affordable frozen vegetables and then steam them, puree into soups and sauces or

bake them in a casserole. Frozen fruit is great on cereal or in smoothies.

9.Delight in Dessert: Frozen grapes or bananas make a delightful dessert. Other simple ideas include fresh fruit, a baked apple, fruit salad or fruit

kabobs with yogurt for dipping!

10.Half Your Plate Twice a Day: Meet your recommended number of servings in a flash by making half of your plate vegetables at lunch and at

dinner!

Page 4 St Brigid News

AMAZING Mudpuppy Challenge!

Can you walk, jog, run or sprint 3km, 5km or 10km? Are you interested in helping kids in Kitchener-Waterloo with developmental disabilities? Stay tuned for more information after March Break to find out how you can help KidsAbility by running in one of their

amazing chases. Last year, St. Brigid School raised $4,385, and we'd like to surpass that amount. Can you help us? Students as well as families are invited to take part! Train on your own, or train with us at lunch. More information to follow. Speak with Mrs. Rotteveel or Mrs. LeDuc for more information!

Page 5

February

3th Our Celtic Pride recipients are: Ethan E, Katrina S, Myles T, Morgan M, Chloe A, Grace H (absent)

February

10th Our Celtic Pride recipients are: Kieran P, Saman-tha B, Lauren C, Berlin K, Brendan V, Julia H

February

17th Our Celtic Pride recipients are: Ellie A, Brianna S, Alessia M, Darrin E, Keira B, Jessica R

February

24th Our Celtic Pride recipi-ents are: Henry T, Cole M, Hud-son T, Tyler C, Ashley M-R, Abigayle M

The Importance of Parent Involvement Keynote Speaker: Ms. Denise Dwyer

Assistant Deputy Minister of Education, Leadership and Learning Environment Division

April 1, 2017

St. Mary’s High School 8:30 AM—12:00 PM

Register through the Board’s website wwww.wcdsb.ca or call Alice Figueiredo at 519-578-3660 Ext. 2299

Funding provided by the Ministry of Education (PRO Grant)