Fall Newsletter 2016 Fall Virtues: Understanding, Idealism, Commitment

Fifteen years ago, St. John Brebeuf implemented The Virtues Project as part of its mission to develop the Christian

leadership potential of students. The intention of The Virtues Project is to put "love into action" within the school community and beyond.

The Virtues Project was created by psychotherapist and author, Linda Kavelin Popov (2000). The program is

designed to create an environment of caring and respect. The Virtues Project inspires the practice of virtues in everyday life. Each month, the school community learns one of fifty-two virtues.

This year, with the theme of Pope Francis’ Encyclica: Laudato Si (pronounced Low-da-toe See) or Care for Our

Common Home, we will be focusing on selected virtues to remind us of the importance of sustainability.

Each student receives a virtues cross, a simple necklace consisting of a wooden cross and beads. The necklace

represents the monthly virtues and symbolizes God's love and the graces he gives us to practice the virtues. These crosses are displayed in our classrooms and are worn on special occasions such as monthly mass with the school.

Each month, one homeroom class prepares a virtues bulletin board outside their classroom. Please feel free to take

a closer look at our students' work when you are visiting the school.

For more information about The Virtues Project, please visit www.virtuesproject.com

Miss J. Waroway, Resource

The Virtues Project

Celebrates Fifteen Years at St. John Brebeuf School

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2016-17 St. John Brebeuf School Board Members

Fr. Mark A. Tarrant, Pastor

Mrs. Cara Campbell, Principal Mrs. Elizabeth Matyi, Chair

Ms. Mariella DiSanto, Past Co-Chair Mrs. Marni Waggoner, Secretary

Mrs. Margaret Kingdon

Mr. Phil Samyn Mr. Raj Sharma

Mr. Andrew Calista Mr. Paul Prendergast

Mr. Antonio Garofoli Mrs. Michelle St. Croix

Mrs. Jennifer Melo, Parent Council Chair

FROM FATHER MARK

After a relatively quiet summer I was so pleased to see

life back in our school. It started slowly with a few of the teachers in for a few hours, then a few more for a longer

time. Then I noticed our new staff coming very early and leaving very late. Then on one Thursday morning from

my office I felt the tremor… they are back! Thank God in

Heaven.

Often we can take the presence of our school for granted. This is not a good thing as every moment of every school

day is worried about, planned and carried out by parents

who want their children to have a Catholic education; by an administration that has signed off on all the great

things happening; and from these amazing educators who don’t just show up, but who allow their students and

colleagues to witness their vocation of educating God’s littlest by their example, wisdom and faith.

There is so much going on, and the Spirit of God breezes through our school constantly. This spirit can be redi-

rected when there is murmuring on the school yard, or at the store, or when people are not in the know. This mur-

muring is sinful and damaging to the fabric of this school,

and every day I pray that God will protect this special place from any sinful talk. Jesus in Matthew’s gospel re-

minds us “‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is cov-ered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret

that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, pro-

claim from the housetops. ”(Matthew 10:27)

I want to thank all our parents for their trust in all of us

at Saint John Brebeuf School. With my whole heart I know it is a good choice and will have a ripple effect for

their entire lives.

I want to thank Mrs. Campbell for accepting her role as

principal and Mrs. Miranda for her yes. And to all our edu-cators, specialists, and Educational assistants, Thank

you. To Gail and Donna, who actually know EVERY-

THING, Thank you.

Saint Paul tells his beloved in his letter to the people of Corinth “I give thanks to my God always for you because

of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Je-sus.” Let us not take this all for granted, but let’s daily

support the mission of our school and ask the saints to

intercede for us as we pray for a year of mercy and of grace.

Blessings

2016-2017 Parent Council Roster

Executive Positions:

Chairpersons: Renee Bertrand-Teo and Jennifer Melo Past-Chairperson: Shannon Cisneros Treasurer: Kerri Moore Secretary: Chauntal de Rocquigny

Committee/Event Chairpersons:

Volunteer Coordinator: Michelle Saltel

Thursday Lunches: Gillian Hauser

Popcorn/Freezie Day: Michelle Thorsteinson

QSP Magazines: Paula Chorney

KofC Pancake Breakfast: Danielle Savage (lead), Michelle Thorsteinson

SJB Idol: Marni Waggoner

SJB Community Carnival- Gillian Hauser (lead), Paula Chor-ney, Kristina Braun, Trish Cantafio, Sandy Miller, Michelle Thorsteinson

Christmas Concert Reception- Nicky Louizos-Gerwing (lead) and Laureen Wilson

Open House- Renee Bertrand-Teo and Jennifer Melo

Staff Appreciation: Renee Bertrand-Teo, Jennifer Melo and Crystal Santarsieri

Roles and Responsibilities- Sandy Kostyniuk

Terry Fox Walk- Renee Bertrand-Teo and Jennifer Melo

Voyageur Day / Refreshments- Renee Bertrand- Teo and Jennifer Melo

Parent Teacher Conferences / Refreshments- Renee Ber-trand-Teo and Jennifer Melo

Parent Council Representatives:

K- Les Sediles

1C– Sandra Amorim Dew 1W- Dorothy Antoniuk

2 - Siyao Sun 3D- Wendy Bullard

3S- Kristina Braun

4- Kim Prendergast 5- Paula Chorney

6R- Laureen Wilson 6C- Danielle Savage

7- Marni Waggoner

8- Brandy Ellerbrock

Popcorn Day Volunteers

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PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

September has been a great success and I am very much looking for-

ward to the year to come. This month we have reconnected with old

friends and welcomed new friends into our community. The excitement of the first weeks of school has settled into a comfortable and steady

pace as we fall into the rhythms and routines of school life. A huge thank you to the volunteers who braved a wet Saturday to assemble

our new play structure!

At our house assembly newcomers were inducted into one of our four houses; the house they will belong to for the duration of their time at

the school. Our house system is an important component of our co-curricular programming and fosters ties between our students and staff

across the grade levels. Our first Mass with the school was on the feast

of St. John Brebeuf with our grade eight class organizing a lovely cele-bration. During Mass those students and staff who are new to our com-

munity were presented with a virtues cross. The virtues project is in I ts fifteenth year at St. John Brebeuf School! We are very proud of our

longstanding commitment to this program that promotes a positive,

empowering culture by giving our children the tools needed to build strong character.

The Terry Fox walk allowed students to be present in the neighbour-

hood, build community within their houses, and raise over $5000 in support of cancer research. A special thank you to our hardworking

parent council for providing an ice cream treat to our students upon their return from the walk.

There are many opportunities for our students to become involved in

extra-curricular activities. Our sports programming is up and running with two volleyball teams, and intramurals will begin once the weather

turns cooler. There are also ample opportunities for our students to

become involved in our music clubs, with six different clubs and choirs being run over the lunch hours. Practices for our Christmas concert

will start in October, with students in grades 6 – 8 encouraged to try out for a role.

Social justice will continue to be at the forefront this year as we contin-

ue with our various initiatives. Care and concern for those in need is a vital part of our Catholic faith and an essential part of our programming

at St. John Brebeuf. This year we are happy to announce the formation of a sustainability committee to explore ways the school can become

more environmentally conscious. We thank the graduating class of

2016 for their generous donation toward sustainability. This legacy will benefit the school and the environment for many years to come. The

healthy schools’ committee will focus on nutrition this year. A reminder to our parents when sending snacks to school to please opt for healthy

choices, even on birthdays. If any parents are interested in assisting

with the healthy schools committee, please contact the office.

I would like to thank all our staff for their commitment and dedication

to enriching our children and bringing out the best in them. At St. John

Brebeuf we strive to help all our students reach their full potential in a caring and safe environment. I am proud of all our students and their

accomplishments, both big and small.

I am looking forward to a busy autumn term, and would like to wish

everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Cara Campbell

PARENT COUNCIL

Parent Council Report

WELCOME BACK!

The St. John Brebeuf parent council got off to a

great start this year with the purchase of a new play structure! We have been busy facilitating the

design with JD Penner. Thank you very much for

your overwhelming support, it’s been made possi-ble with all your hard work and fundraising efforts

over the last few years!

The 2016/17 Parent Council Roster and Parent Council Representatives (PCR) are listed on the

adjacent page. We have continued to work with the PCR to assist and expedite communication

between parent council and parents. We hope you

see this way of messaging as an invitation for you to become involved in the activities and initiatives

this upcoming year:

The next Parent Council Meeting will be held on Monday October 24 at 7:00 pm in the school

library. All are welcome!

Please note that the Hillary Druxman necklaces are still available for purchase. If you are interest-

ed, contact Laureen Wilson gregwilsonis@shaw.ca

Sincerely,

Mrs. Renee Bertrand-Teo & Mrs. Jennifer Melo

The St. John Brebeuf School Annual QSP Maga-

zine Fundraiser is starting soon! Information will be sent home with your child the week of Oc-

tober 3rd, but you can order online anytime at: www.qsp.ca and enter in Group ID: 3742731

or search for St. John Brebeuf School.

For more information, contact the PCl QSP Coordi-nator, Paula at paulachorney@hotmail.com

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Please note the following:

NO SCHOOL September 30 - Staff Retreat

October 10 - Thanksgiving October 21 - In-service

November 11 - Remembrance Day

December 2 - In-service December 23- January 8 - Christmas Holidays

EARLY DISMISSAL

October 7 - 2pm dismissal October 20 - 11:30am dismissal; No After Care

November 3 - 11:30am dismissal; No After Care November 4 - 2pm dismissal

December 22 - 2pm dismissal

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SUSTAINABILITY

During the month of October, our school will be participating

in the provincial recycling drive Bag Up Manitoba. For the

entire month of October, we are collecting plastic that would otherwise end up in our lakes, rivers, and forests

where it will not biodegrade and could potentially be harmful to wildlife.

Plastic items accepted are:

grocery bags

retail bags salt bags newspaper sleeves pellet bags

produce bags cereal bags bread bags case over wrap

ice bags dry cleaning bags bubble wrap re-sealable food bags

SOCIAL JUSTICE

During the period from October 11th to 18th, the school will be collecting non-perishable food items to support Winnipeg Harvest, as part of our school’s social justice focus on hunger and poverty. Please consider donating items from the most wanted list below. All donations will be delivered to Winnipeg Harvest. Winnipeg Harvest 9 Most Wanted Food Items:

Canned fish and poultry – tuna, or salmon (packed in water) chicken or turkey

Canned fruit and vegetables (packed in own juice)

Canned stew, chili, brown beans

Baby Food – jars of chicken, beef, vegetables or fruit, infant

cereal such as oatmeal, barley or rice, Formula with

added iron (While donations of infant formula with add-

ed iron are needed, Winnipeg Harvest supports breast-

feeding.)

Whole grain pasta/whole wheat pasta

Rice – brown, converted or parboiled

Canned spaghetti sauce or tomatoes

Cereal – high fiber, non-sugar coated

Canned soup – lentil, pea, vegetable

Please share what you can spare of these non-perishable food items. These food items reflect recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide and are supported by Manitoba Dieti-tians. Due to allergies at the school, please DO NOT SEND ANY

NUT PRODUCTS SUCH AS PEANUT BUTTER.

Thank your for your continued generosity!

Social Justice Committee

SCHOOL PATROLS

Welcome to another school year! This year, we have

a group of responsible Grade 5 students who will be our patrols. These individuals will give up time in the

mornings, after school, and during lunch to ensure

everyone’s safety.

This year’s patrols are:

Ava Banmann Emma Chorney

Nolan Hall Nadia Kostyniuk

Meghan Lagadi

Carla Miolli Mikhail Precourt

Thank you all for your support.

Miss Misa,

School Patrol Coordinator

ROOTS of EMPATHY

We are happy to present our new Baby Teacher,

Mr. Suban & Mrs. Wolfe’s own AUGUSTIN!

Miss Misa’s grade 4 class will get a chance to learn

about emotions, baby development, and empathy for others through their year-long interaction with Augus-

tin and observations of his physical and emotional de-

velopment and growth. Watch for more updates!

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PLAY STRUCTURE

A big thank you to the group of parent volunteers responsible for assembling the structure over the weekend. Despite rainy

weather there was a solid turn out of upwards of fifteen volunteers throughout the course of the day. Your hard work and

dedication will allow our children to enjoy this play structure for many years to come. Community coming together to

accomplish a goal that betters the experiences of our children is what St. John Brebeuf is all about!

Welcome to the St. John Brebeuf Community!

MISS CAROLYN HUEBNER - Grade Five

I was born and raised in Winnipeg and attended St. John’s Ravenscourt School. While com-pleting my Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, I worked as a tutor/mentor, a youth recrea-tion coordinator, a level III Para Educator, an Early Childhood Educator, and as a camp coun-sellor and canoe trip leader! I then completed my Faculty of Education degree at a private Manitoba certified school in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand is nicknamed “The Land of Smiles” and the culture and people captured my heart. I remained in Bangkok, Thailand for an addi-tional 3.5 years teaching, and have been teaching since my return to Winnipeg. I am passion-ate about volunteering my time and services. I have been a facilitator for the Families and Schools Together program, a crime prevention youth mentor for N.E.E.D.S. Inc., and a council member and mediator for Manitoba Justice. I look forward to my year at SJB School and part-nering with school staff and parents to ensure the success of all students. MR. DEREK FRYKAS - Music

Hi SJB Community members! My name is Derek Frykas and I am thrilled to be teaching Music at

St. John Brebeuf School! This will be my 9th year teaching in Manitoba. I have taught Band, Social Studies, and a variety of other music courses in Dauphin, Thompson, Winkler, and Winnipeg, most

recently at St. Paul’s High School. After receiving my Bachelor of Music from Brandon University I performed as a member of the Canadian Military in the Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa and the Band

of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in Winnipeg. I also spent over 3 years as a saxophone, clarinet, and flute player for a number of cruise lines including Princess, Celebrity and Crystal. I received my

Bachelor of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of

Toronto. My wife and I have two sons who keep us very active, and I perform with a variety of

groups in my free time.

Phil Cesario Shaun Hauser Andrew McKay Steve Moore Jeff Braun Billy Casselman Dave Mainprize Shannon Cisneros Dave Staatz Roger Bean Renee Bertrand-Teo Darrin Bannman Kim Prendergast Joe Sebastio Wan Shirrit-Beaumont Jennifer Melo Rob Cantafio

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BOBCAT BEAT

Physical Education Welcome back students and families of

the St. John Brebeuf school community! I hope everyone had a safe and active

summer. The first week back to physical education had all

students playing a series of low organized games. During the first few months, students from grades K – 4 will be

developing their basic movement skills – run, jump, hop, gallop and skip. Students in grades 5 – 8 will be learning

the rules and skills required for Flag Rugby and develop-ing their understanding of Volleyball.

As the gym uniforms arrive, please help your children be prepared for Physical Education by having labeled with

their name their crested gym shorts and shirts along with non-marking running shoes in a labeled gym bag.

Labeling their regular uniforms is also equally as im-

portant. Please do not send casual “Crocs” or “skateboard/street” shoes, they do not provide adequate

support. Also, please remember to write your child’s first and last name somewhere inside their clothing. If stu-

dents forget to bring these items to class, a uniform sheet

will go home with them for you to sign. Please have your child return the sheet to me the next day for my records.

Volleyball

Our boys’ competitive and developmental volleyball teams have been selected. Congratulations to all students for

making the team! The developmental team will be

coached by Mr. Toni along with Mr. Suban and Miss Cerminara assisting, and the competitive team will be

coached by me along with the help of Amy Moyer (my student teacher from last year!). If any parents are inter-

ested in assisting as a volunteer coach please contact me

at Bueti@sjbcommunity.ca

All schedules will be available on the Physical Education class portal as well as on the calendar inside the gymnasi-

um doors.

Let’s have a great year! Mr. D. Bueti, Physical Education

FROM THE TECHNOLOGY DEPT.

RESOURCE

A big thank you goes out to the St. John Brebeuf Catholic Women’s League for their donation to the Resource

Program. The CWL donation of $100 has been used to purchase some of the books needed to begin a Reading

Recovery library. Your commitment and generosity to our community is greatly appreciated. For more information

regarding Reading Recovery, please visit the Reading

Recovery Canada website: http://rrcanada.org/

Miss J. Waroway

Resource Teacher, Literacy Leader (Clinical Reading)

To access a portal, please visit sjbschool.ca and select the grade or specialist area that you wish to view via the dropdown menu at the top of the page. Input the school password “bobcats.”

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/k/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-1c/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-1w/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-2p/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-3d/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-3s/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-4/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-5/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-6c/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-6r/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-7/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/grade-8/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/library/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/french/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/technology/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/music/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/phys-ed/

http://www.sjbschool.ca/class/resource/

Miss S. Hill, Technology Teacher

SECOND STEP

This year we enter our second year of the character build-ing program Second Step. An important component of this program is the Bullying Prevention Unit. The BPU focuses on three main areas: recognizing bullying, dealing with bullying, and preventing bullying. An important part of the entire program is the home link. Research shows this program works best when involvement at home is under-taken in addition to the school initiative. Please watch your child’s backpack for the maroon Second Step duo tang. Inside, you will find an introductory letter and home link activities that are to be done by your child with the supervision of an adult. The home link work should be a shared experience. Go online with your child today to check out the many resources available from Second Step (www.secondstep.org) using the activation key listed in the introductory letter.

Mrs. Campbell, Principal

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NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ROOM MUSIC CLUB SCHEDULE

Day 1- Beginner Violin (Grades 1-4) Time: 12:00pm-12:25pm

Day 2- Guitar Club (Grades 3-8)

Time: 11:30am-12:00pm (Grades 5-8)

12:00pm-12:25pm (Grades 3-4)

Day 3- Boys Choir (Grades 3-8) Time: 11:30am-12:25pm

* Eat Lunch in the Music Room

Day 4- Girls Choir (Grades 3-6)

Time: 11:30am-12:25pm * Eat Lunch in the Music Room

Day 5- Advanced Violin

Time: 11:30am-12:25pm

*Eat lunch in the Music Room

Day 6- Mass Choir (with Mr. Suban) Time: 11:55am-12:25pm

*Rehearse in the Sanctuary

Friday Mornings- Rock Band

Time: 7:55am-8:30am

Note: For all clubs, Mr. Frykas will meet students in front of the

office before escorting them to the music room.

LIBRARY NEWS

Book Fair Date Change!

This year in February, our I Love to Read month

activities will be including the Scholastic Book Fair. (It

will not be held in November.) That’s right….more time to add to your wish list and save your nickels and dimes

(or $50 dollar bills :D ). Watch for more information in the coming newsletters or on the library website, and

plan on warming up your winter on the high seas at the

Bookaneer Book Fair, February 6-10!

Please Note: No School Clubs on Hot Lunch Days

TERRY FOX WALK

Terry Fox envisioned a marathon, a marathon of hope that he began in 1980. On September 23 rd the

students of St. John Brebeuf School had the opportunity to hear a guest speaker, Brenda Krueger,

from the Terry Fox Foundation. She spoke to the children about her experience with cancer as well

as the inspiration that Terry Fox was to many. The students then continued Terry’s vision by walking

2.5 km around the neighbourhood. On behalf of the House committee, I would like to express grati-

tude to the staff and students of St. John Brebeuf School for their

extraordinary efforts in keeping Terry’s dream and vision alive.

A huge thank you to all our parent volunteers who came out to

support us. Mrs. Walker, Terry Fox Coordinator

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SCHOOL POLICY: REFUND OF TUITION AND FEES POLICY NO. 401.5 1. Unless otherwise approved by the Board, tuition fees will

be refunded only if a child’s parent or guardian is transferred or moves out of the City before December 31. In this case, tuition will be refunded on a pro-rated basis.

2. A request for a tuition refund must be made in writing to

the Principal. 3. Application fees, technology fees, school supply

fees, field trip fees and lunch fees are all non-refundable.

4. If Before/After School Program service is cancelled after

the first day of a month, the fees for that entire month are payable.

Approved in January 2013

SCHOOL UNIFORMS If you need to order uniform pieces, or wish to purchase gently worn items,

please visit Ms. Barry at the Uniform

Room (lower level, adjacent to the Science Room) every Thursday between 3:00 and 4:00

pm, or email her at barry@sjbcommunity.ca.

After Thanksgiving, students are not permitted to wear shorts or skorts until Spring.

For more information on school uniform policies please

refer to the parent/student handbook on the school web site at www.sjbschool.ca.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Student Council for 2016-17

President: Ben Ellerbrock Vice President: Richard Vandewater

Secretary/Treasure: Khalil Coward

A big thank you to everyone who came out for our junior high dance

on Friday, September 16th. It was a huge success with students pouring

in from Catholic schools all over the

city. A special thank you to our parent volunteers, and our student

council of Ben Ellerbrock, Richard Vandewater, and Khalil Coward for

helping to organize it.

St. John Brebeuf Student Council

Mr. Will Toni, Teacher Advisor

St. John Brebeuf School 605 Renfrew Street, Winnipeg, MB R3N 1J8 Phone: (204) 489-2115, Fax: (204) 928-7455

Principal: Cara Campbell principal@sjbcommunity.ca

Admin. Assistant: Gail Gel schooloffice@sjbcommunity.ca

REPORTING ABSENCES:

Please contact Mrs. Botterill at 204-489-2115 (ext.241)

or email receptionist@sjbcommunicty.ca before 9am.

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE Please note that a fee of $40.00 will be required for all NSF cheques. Post-dated cheques are not accepted.