Winter Newsletter 2016 Winter Virtues: Compassion, Purposefulness, Caring

DECEMBER CALENDAR

Please note the following:

December 1 - Early Dismissal 2pm

December 2 - No School (In-service)

December 7 - Huron Carole Concert 7pm (Parish) December 8 - Mass: Immaculate Conception - gr.6R leading

December 20 - Christmas Concert Matinee 1:30pm

December 21 - Christmas Concert 7pm December 22 - Colour Day: wear green, red & white

December 22 - Pancake Breakfast and SJB Idol December 22 - Early Dismissal 2pm

(last day of school before Christmas Break) December 23- January 8 - Christmas Holidays

Meet & Greet Reception

follows in the Parish Hall.

100% Proceeds Supports

Winnipeg Harvest

Please bring a non-perishable food donation

or baby formula for Winnipeg Harvest

Tickets $40 (plus agency fee)

https;//www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-huron-carole-tickets-29085174540

Wednesday, December 7th

at 7:30 pm

St. John Brebeuf Church

with...

Tom Jackson

Beverley Ma-

hood

A Christmas Gift That Makes a

Difference…

Give Joy: Pre and Post Natal Care—Kulaman, Phillipines $25

Give Hope: Clean Drinking Water— Mawiawet, India $50

Give Independence: Cerebral Palsy Children—Matuu, Kenya $75

Give Life: Snake Bite Centre—Kanti, Bihar, India $100

St. John Brebeuf students, in partnership with the Sisters of Our Lady of

the Missions, will be giving Christmas gifts that make a difference to assist

some of the poorest, most neglected and marginalized people in our world.

During the month of December, each classroom will be collecting funds and

contributing to these life changing and empowering projects that make a

difference in the lives of those in need.

If you wish to purchase one or more of these gifts, or for further information,

please contact Mrs. Gel at the school office at 489.2115 ext. 260

or email the school at schooloffice@sjbcommunity.ca.

St. John Brebeuf School Christmas Concert

Tuesday, December 20th, 2016 at 1:30 pm

Wednesday, December 21st, 2016 at 7:00 pm

St. John Brebeuf Church

Admission: Free Will Offering

Refreshments courtesy of the SJB Parent Council

by Michelle R. Davis

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Blessing of the New Play Structure

Joining Fr. Mark, Mrs. Miranda (vice-principal) and all the

students for the play structure blessing are board members Mrs. Michelle St. Croix, Mrs. Elizabeth Matyi (chair),

Mr. Paul Prendergast and Mr. Andrew Calista.

“Keep Christ in Christmas Colouring Contest”

The Knights of Columbus - Council #1107 Invites all students from St. John Brebeuf School or Parish

to participate in their annual colouring contest. Guidelines

have been supplied to all classrooms. Entries must be handed in to the homeroom teacher by Friday, December 22nd.

SCHOOL CHOIR AT

THE SANTA CLAUS PARADE

PARADE

FROM FATHER MARK Over my years at Saint John Brebeuf I have noticed that I have really become more aware of the communion of saints, those good

and faithful people who, from the halls of heaven, intercede for us

at the throne of our heavenly Father. I have become more and more aware of the intercession of our Patron – Saint John Brebeuf,

a Jesuit priest who was sent from the comforts of his life in France to come to the indigenous lands of Canada and who gave his life

so that the Gospel would be well established in North America. It is

this willingness to “lay down one’s life…” for the faith that reminds me that what we do, how we live, and the way we act truly says

who we are. Saint John Brebeuf loved the people of Huronia; he learned their language, and through his very life he told the story

of the Christ.

We have the opportunity every day to tell the story of the Christ when we move beyond our comfort level and are not just aware of

our brothers and sisters in Christ who are entitled to our love. This is seen in how we respect our seniors, in how we not just remem-

ber the poor but take an active role in eliminating poverty, when

we clothe the naked- protecting them from winter, and when we feed the hungry. We call upon the saints to intercede to God that

we will have the strength and the heart to ensure that we, too, “lay down our lives…” our comfort, our entitlement and our petti-

ness to ensure that the little ones among us are cared for as part

of the family.

Our School bears the name of our Paton saint and we try to follow

in the footsteps of Saint John himself: that our students learn of

social justice, learn of the hungry, learn of the homeless, learn of the refugees, learn of our responsibility for the environment and

learn a faith that will shape them long after they leave this school and go on. They will take with them the “Huron Carole” that

speaks of finding Christ in the most unexpected places: “Within a lodge of broken bark the tender Babe was found, a ragged robe of

rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty ‘round. And as the hunter braves

drew nigh, the angel song rang loud and high: Jesus, your King is born, Jesus is born; in excelsis Gloria.” We meet the Christ when

we take care of the little ones of the Lord.

I pray that you and your families have an amazing Christmas, and that through your faith you will ensure that the Christ child will be

recognized in all those who need be taken care of, beginning with those in our home and all those who wait for the day of the Lord.

Saint John Brebeuf, pray for us…

Peace,

CHOIR AT THE SANTA CLAUS PARADE

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PARENT COUNCIL REPORT

The parent council is excited to be a part of some

exciting initiatives this festive season. We have been collecting winter outerwear essentials such

as parkas, snow pants, hats, boots and mittens

for Koats for Kids. We are overwhelmed with your generosity! There were at least 50 coats collected,

as well as bags full of mittens and toques. This will go a long way in keeping some kids in need warm

this winter.

There has been such a positive response to our Hilary Druxman sterling silver necklaces that we

have added a few dates where they will be availa-

ble for sale. We will have necklaces available for sale in the parish hall following the matinee Christ-

mas concert on December 20th and after the even-ing concert on December 21st. The cost for one

necklace is $40.00 or 3 for $100.00 and includes the necklace, a velvet pouch, Hilary Druxman gift

bag and St. John Brebeuf school donation card in-

sert.

All the net proceeds from the sale will be allocated to our school!

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a healthy &

happy 2017!

Mrs. Renee Bertrand-Teo & Mrs. Jennifer Melo Parent Council Co-chairs

St. John Brebeuf Parish Christmas Worship Schedule Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord Saturday, December 24th, 2016

5:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass with the Children 7:30 pm Christmas Eve Mass 10:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass (with incense) (Caroling begins 30 min. prior to Christmas Eve Masses)

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Sunday, December 25th, 2015

10:00am Christmas Mass

Merry Christmas!

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

The Christmas season is so special for children: full of wonder, awe, and

excitement. It is my favourite time of year around the school and one of the many reasons I love working in a Catholic school. Being able to

celebrate Christmas with the students in our faith tradition is a special privilege for an educator, and it fills me with gratitude.

In this season of warmth and generosity, thoughts inevitably turn to

social justice, a cornerstone of our programming here at St. John Brebeuf. There are several initiatives during Advent that give our

community the opportunity to help the less fortunate. Our parent

council successfully ran a Koats for Kids drive, something I hope becomes an annual event. Our grade seven students will be initiating

a student-led Christmas Gifts that Make a Difference campaign for the month of December (please see front cover for more details). As in the

past, each classroom will be responsible for a Christmas hamper. These

hampers are delivered to newly arrived families in Canada, many of them refugees, and facilitated by the N.E.E.D.S. centre.

I would like to highlight a fine example of the social justice aspect

of the education we offer in action. One of our students, Sophia Cianflone, saw something she felt was a matter of social justice and

took the necessary steps to remedy the situation. Sophia, an avid volleyball player, is the only girl in junior high. The school tried to form

a girls’ volleyball team using some of our younger students, but we

were unable to make this a reality. Undaunted, Sophia appealed to the Manitoba Catholic Schools’ Athletic Association to allow her to play

on our boys’ team. She did not feel it was right for the opportunity to play the sport she loves to be denied to her based on her gender. In

addition to making an exception for her, Sophia also petitioned the

MCSAA to change their rules so that other students in a similar position would also be able to fully participate in sports. I am happy to report

that the MCSAA have granted Sophia’s request to join our boys’ team, and will be amending their constitution in order to allow this to happen

in the future. I would like to thank Mr. Bueti and the Catholic Schools’ Office for their support of Sophia.

It is part of my vision for our school that our students should be taught

to advocate against injustice not only for themselves, but also for

others. With articulation and grace Sophia answered this call. She has made us all very proud to call her our own. Bravo, Sophia!

Wishing you all the best of the season,

Mrs. Cara Campbell,

Principal

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SOCIAL JUSTICE

We are now gearing up for a busy December, January and February. Every year in December, our

school helps to support the NEEDS Centre, a centre for new immigrants and refugees to Canada. N.E.E.D.S, Inc. is an organization that provides support and accessible services to immigrant and

refugee children and their families. Their primary goal is to, “enhance their integration into Canadian society by providing youth with employment, education and social recreation programs

supported by psycho-social educators.”

With so many new immigrants coming to our city over the past year, it is a great time to show support to this wonderful organization. This year will be our fifth year providing support. In the month of December, we will be collecting toonies,

gifts and food to supply 12 different families with a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I would like to say a big thank

you in advance to all of the staff, students, parents, parishioners and volunteers who help us to collect, prepare and deliver these Christmas hampers to the delighted families. Please be on the lookout for how you can help with this wonderful cause!

The St. John Brebeuf School grade 6 classes are working together with students and their families to help raise awareness

about hunger and poverty in our city and throughout the world. Empty Bowls is an international project, which is being implemented for the second time at St. John Brebeuf School. After a school wide project during the 2013-2014 school year,

the project has now been placed in grade 6 as a special yearlong awareness mission for the middle years. Our program is about to begin. In November, students will learn about the unequal distribution of food in our world, and come up with

strategies to help create food security for more of our population. In the months of January and February, students will be

looking at hunger and homelessness, and how hope can be brought into the lives of all.

Thank you for your continued support! Social Justice Committee

Feeling Blue?

To report absences, please contact the school receptionist Mrs. Donna Botterill at 204-489-2115 (ext.241) or

email receptionist@sjbcommunity.ca before 9am.

ROOTS OF EMPATHY

Baby Teacher Augustin is growing fast and steady and teaching the Grade 4 class a new lesson every visit! From teaching about emotions and how he (and others) expresses what he’s feeling, to learning to empathize with the teething pain that he

will soon experience and relate it to the loss of their baby teeth. For Christmas (shhhhh! Don’t tell!), the class will be giving

him a book talking all about emotions and how people express them. The book, ‘How are you Peeling?’, was created using vegetable-based characters developed by the students and can be viewed on our website’s, Roots of Empathy page on the

Grade 4 portal!

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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Catholic Schools Week runs from February 13-17. The theme for 2017 is Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith,

Knowledge and Service. During the week we will take time from our regular schedules to enjoy community and faith-building events and celebrate our identity as a Catholic school. Students can look forward to Valentine’s Day buddy

activities, ski trip (grades 7 and 8), Voyageur Day and Sock Hop (K-6), and a MTYP touring performance of Dib and Dob and The Journey Home. We will gather as a community of faith to celebrate mass on Tuesday, February 14th.

VOYAGEUR DAY

Salut mes amis!

Once again we will be celebrating "Festival du Voyageur" during Catholic

Schools Week. We will sing, dance, and be active, just like a voyageur! All St. John Brebeuf students from K-6 will be participating in outdoor and indoor

activities. Mark your calendars for the morning of February 15th. That is when "La celebration" begins!

HeHo!

Mme Bector, French Specialist

Please Note: No School Clubs on Hot Lunch Days

In the event of a severe weather emergency, all Catholic Schools will close if the Winnipeg school divisions close their

schools. Listen for school closures on CBC, CJOB, 99.9 FM, 94.3, 102.3 FM and 103 FM. In case of an emergency that requires us to evacuate, students will go to École J.B. Mitchell. E-Blasts and/or website messages will be available in the

case of any school closure or evacuation.

WINTER CLUBS

CODING CLUB : Miss S. Hill

The weekly lunchtime Coding Club for grade 7 & 8 students will begin after Christmas and will run until Spring break. Sign up sheet will be posted in December.

YOGA CLUB: Mrs. C. Robson

Yoga Club will be in the gym on Monday and Wednesday from 8am - 8:25am, starting on Monday, January 16th. Mats (30) are available on a first come first serve basis, so participants are encouraged to bring their own if they have one.

Classroom access is not available, so please arrive with gym clothes or wear comfortable clothes. All grades are wel-

come!

BOARD GAME CLUB: Mr. D. Suban Do you like puzzles and challenges? Make sure to check out Board Game Club starting in January. All skill levels from

beginners to advanced players in grades 3 and 4 are welcome to play and have fun. Some games include: Chess, Nine Men’s Morris, Make 7, Stratego, Make Four, Abalone, Ghost Blitz and much more!

WRESTLING CLUB: Mr. N. Polakoff

Wrestling club will be beginning in early December. The club will be offered to grades 6-8, and depending on numbers younger students may be allowed to participate. The style of wrestling that will be taught is free style, there will be no

turnbuckles, elbow drops or stone cold stunners; what you see in the Olympics is what will be taught. More information

about tournaments will follow.

DRAWING CLUB: Miss C. Misa

All grade three and four students are invited to join the Drawing Club in Miss Misa’s classroom. Please stay tuned to

announcements for further details.

DRAMA CLUB: Mme Bector and Ms. Huebner An open call to all thespians in grades 2-6 to join the Drama Club this January. Topics that will be covered: miming,

tableaus, improvisation, drama games, readers’ theater, monologues, performance poetry, role plays, and puppet theater. Don’t miss your cue and be sure to join in the fun.

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BOBCAT BEAT

Volleyball Congratulations go out to all the volleyball teams on very successful seasons. The school would like to

wish a very big thank you to the students who kept score and the teachers who helped supervise in the gym during home games. It was a very busy season this year for the Bobcats. I would like to especially

thank Mr. Suban and Mr. Toni who coached the developmental teams. Also, I would like to extend a

special thank you to Ms. Amy Moyer who assisted in coaching the competitive team. Go Bobcats!

On the last day of school before Christmas break, there will be the annual staff vs. students volleyball game after the SJB Idol, where the competitive team will take on last year’s champions– the staff!

Intramurals

Intramurals begin in early December and the grades 2 - 8 students will take on a circuit of climbing wall, soccer penalty shots, bolo and basketball free throws over the lunch hour. Students will be happy to know that this will continue into the

New Year. The next intramural will be dodge ball. Make sure to bring your physical education class uniform that day if you plan to participate.

Basketball

The basketball season starts in late January. Boys in grades 6-8 should get prepared for Bobcat Basketball tryouts on December 5th and 7th! Look for further tryout dates and times on the gymnasium door. Pending interest, there will be a

girl’s basketball team, coached by Mme Bector. A meeting will take place in January.

May God bless you and your families throughout Christmas and 2017!

Mr. D. Bueti, Physical Education

A huge thank you to our community for

collecting plastic bags to be recycled. We have kept over

4,000 plastic bags out of landfills and our waterways!

SUSTAINABILITY

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Theresa

What is sustainability? One definition of sustainability is “sustainable development is

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Why? As stewards of God's creation, we are tasked

with the great responsibility to care for the Earth and

one another through sustainable teachings and ac-tions. A person once said "We do not inherit the Earth

from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

What now? Many exciting sustainability projects and activities are coming up for St. John Brebeuf School!

These include presentations, class activities, a new school compost bin, and litter-less lunches to name a

few. More information will be coming in the new year.

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NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ROOM

Merry Christmas St. John Brebeuf Community!

I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know all the staff, students and community members here at St. John Brebeuf School over

these past few months! Seeing the enthusiasm and joy that the students bring into my room is exciting and humbling for me! Here are a few pieces of information about the music offerings this year:

The music clubs are in full swing! Please check the schedule on the Music Portal for the days we meet. It is very important

that students attend clubs regularly, as there is often not an opportunity to make up missed time!

The Boys and Girls Choir had their first performance at our school Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 10th. They per-formed “O Canada” and a feature piece, and did a great job with both! The Choir will be performing next at our Christmas

Concert, along with the Advanced Violin Club.

The Santa Claus Parade was a great success again this year! We had a record turnout for the float, with many St. John Brebeuf students along with Knights of Columbus members and students and families from other schools. Mr. Allan Suban

played piano and brought a group of wonderful singers to lead the students, and the Knights did a great job of organizing. Thank you to all students, parents and staff who were involved with the planning and supervision of the event!

Our Christmas concert is coming up very soon! The students and staff have been hard at work and it’s sure to be a great

evening of drama and music!

Thank you all for your support of the music offerings here at SJB, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns, or are in need of clarifications.

Mr. Frykas, Music

REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY

MASS CHOIR PRACTICE

KINDERGARTEN The 2017-18 registration deadline for new students is Monday, February 13th, 2017.

Families with children already attending St. John Brebeuf School who wish to register another child in Kindergarten for 2017-2018 are asked to submit the application forms available on our website at www.sjbschool.ca.

Please share this registration information with any family or friends with Kindergarten aged children who may be interested in attending our school.

CHOIR PRACTICE

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JANUARY EXAM SCHEDULE

FOR GRADE 7 & 8

Friday, January 20th (Day 2)

9:00 am Grade 7: ELA

9:00 am Grade 8: ELA

Monday, January 23rd (Day 3)

9:00 am Grade 7: Science

9:00 am Grade 8: Science

Tuesday January 24th (Day 4) Study Day

Wednesday January 25th (Day 5)

9:00 am Grade 7: Social Studies

9:00 am Grade 8: History

Thursday January 26th (Day 6)

9:00 am Grade 7: Math

9:00 am Grade 8: Math

Friday January 27th

No School

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

www.sjbschool.ca

A big thank you for all the donations our community pulled together for the Koats for Kids program.

Keep watching for more opportunities to donate! A big thank you to Declan, Connor, Chazz, Richard, David, Joey, Khalil, Moe, and Tristan from the grade 8 class

for helping to collect and organize the donations.

COOKIE MINING

PLEASE CHECK THE

SCHOOL WEBSITE www.sjbschool.ca FOR MORE INFOR-

MATION AND UPDATES!

Reminder: Outside supervision starts at 8:30 am.

Students arriving prior to this time will be sent to the Before School (BASC) program where supervision is pro-

vided. As there is a charge for using BASC, you are encouraged to drop your child off after 8:30 am.