The Bruin Bulletin
25 Beckview Drive, Kitchener, ON, N2R 0N7
226-444-9774
https://stjosephine.wcdsb.ca
https://twitter.com/stjbbruins
February 26, 2024
“Seeing the sun, the moon, and the stars, the beauties of nature, I asked myself, ‘Who is the owner of all these beautiful things?’ and I felt a great desire to see him, know him, and pay him homage.” – St. Josephine Bakhita
Our Mission:
“As disciples of Christ, we educate and nurture hope in all learners to realize their full potential to transform God’s world.”
Our Vision:
“Our Catholic Schools: heart of the community – success for each, a place for all.”
Pink Shirt Day – Wednesday, February 28th
As a visual reminder that the students and staff at St. Josephine Bakhita are committed to creating a healthy school climate that is free from bullying or teasing in any shape or form, everyone in our school community is invited to wear pink this Wednesday.
The Story Behind Pink Shirt Day…
Now a movement celebrated across the globe, Pink Shirt Day has humble beginnings. Inspired by an act of kindness in small-town Nova Scotia, CKNW Kids’ Fund, working with partners Boys & Girls Clubs and 980 CKNW, was inspired to raise funds to support anti-bullying programs. Here is a snippet of an article detailing the original incident:
“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So, Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”
For more information, visit https://www.pinkshirtday.ca/
IT’S ALMOST HERE…THIS THURSDAY…IT’S Family Math Night at St. JB
Mark your calendars! Our Family Math Night is scheduled for this Thursday, February 29th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. A paper copy, with a tear-off ballot, was sent home two weeks ago. Please bring the ballot to our Math Night for your family’s chance to win one of two Chromebooks!
Vaccination Clinic – Important Information for Parents of Students Who Require Vaccinations
Public Health will be at St. Josephine Bakhita CES on March 7th from 3:30pm to 7pm to provide required vaccinations. The clinic is by appointment only and will take place in our gymnasium. There will be no walk-in appointments available. To book your appointment, use https://portal.healthmyself.net/regionofwaterloo/guest/booking/form/04b3662b-6067-4cbd-8ea0-52223515bd1d#/yOa7/book/type/15097 This link is for members of our school community and must not be shared.
For your child’s vaccination appointment, you need to bring:
- A copy of your child’s vaccination record from their health care provider.
- Your child’s Ontario health card number (if applicable).
This clinic is for families who received a letter from Public Health indicating they were missing required vaccines. The clinic will provide the needed vaccinations and update your child’s vaccination record. Please note that after your child has been vaccinated, there is a recommended 15 minute wait time to ensure your child is feeling well.
Bruins Athletics News
Good luck to our Girls’ Volleyball Team in the Regionals this Thursday! The team beat St. Matthew’s in convincing fashion last week to qualify for the tournament! Our Boys’ Basketball Team didn’t fare as well, in their playoff game, losing a heartbreaker to a talented St. Luke’s team.
Drop off and Pick up Policy at St. Josephine Bakhita CES
***PARENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN EITHER OF OUR PARKING LOTS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY – OUR PARKING LOTS WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR STUDENT PICK-UPS BY PARENTS – PARENTS WILL NEED TO PARK ON A SIDE STREET AND HAVE THEIR CHILD WALK SAFELY TO THEIR VEHICLE***
***PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE DESIGNATED ACCESSIBLE (HANDICAPPED) PARKING SPOTS WHEN DROPPING OFF OR PICKING UP – EVEN IF IT’S FOR A SHORT TIME – UNLESS YOU HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE (HANDICAPPED) PARKING PASS***
***ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA PARENTS – PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE DESIGNATED YMCA DAYCARE PARKING SPOTS***
Please read the following information and follow our school’s drop off and pick up procedures that have been developed to keep your children safe. We encourage students in Gr. 4 – 8 who live within 1.6 km of the school (0.8 km for JK – Gr. 3 students) to walk to school. Those who live further than 1.6 km (0.8 km JK – Gr. 3) are eligible for bussing. Parents who choose to drive their children to school may use our Drive to Five option or our designated ‘Kiss & Drop’ zone.
DRIVE TO FIVE & Drop Off (8:50-9:05 a.m.)
Parents who choose to drive their children to school are asked to either:
- “Drive to Five” (BEST OPTION for Junior & Intermediate students) – Drop your child off a block or two away from the school (5 min. walk). You will avoid contributing to the congestion in the Kiss & Drop zone and the walk will do your child good – they will be that much more alert to begin their day!
- Use the school’s Kiss & Drop area (SECOND BEST OPTION) – We are very fortunate to have a ‘Kiss & Drop Zone’ at our school – most schools do not have this option for parents. Please follow the procedures we have put in place to make it as safe for our students as possible.
· Pull into the school driveway and wait until you enter the clearly marked Kiss & Drop zone
· To keep traffic moving, parents using the Kiss & Drop zone are not permitted to get out of their vehicles and children may only exit the vehicle from the passenger side
· Please only have your child exit your vehicle in the designated Kiss & Drop zone
· St. Josephine Bakhita parents are not eligible to park in the school parking lot
· If your child requires assistance getting out of your vehicle, please do not use the Kiss & Drop zone or school parking lot – you will need to park on a side street and walk your child to school safely
Pick Up
Parents choosing to drive their children home at the end of the school day cannot park in our school parking lots. Schools are not designed or built for this. The Kiss & Drop zone is for dropping students off before school only and the school parking lots are reserved for staff and daycare parking only. Parents will need to park on a side street and have their children walk safely to their vehicle if they are providing their children with a ride home.
Important to Note:
- Cold Weather, Snow, or Rain does not change this policy
- This policy has been communicated weekly since the beginning of the school year in our Bruin Bulletin
- Parents – please always be respectful when speaking with school staff who are enforcing our policy that has been developed to keep our students safe
- Please follow this policy and help us to continue to build a strong, caring, and respectful Catholic school community here at St. Josephine Bakhita
- Should you have any questions or concerns about our Pick Up & Drop Off Policy, please contact Mr. Dave Lynch, Principal (226-444-9774)
Important Safety Reminder – Crossing Beckview Drive
Students and parents crossing Beckview Drive are reminded to please walk to the designated pedestrian crossing at the Huron Road-Beckview Drive roundabout or Tartan Ave-Beckview Drive instead of the unsafe practice of crossing the road directly in front of the school. Thank you.
St. Josephine Bakhita Learning Commons Wall – Donations Welcome!
If your family has any LEGO you are willing to donate to the school for our Learning Commons (Library) portable LEGO wall, please drop it off at the main office, or send it in with your child, to the attention of Mrs. Bowdring. Thank you in advance for your support.
St. Josephine Bakhita CES is on Twitter – Follow us!
Please follow all the #WCDSBawesome things taking place at our school! You can find us at https://twitter.com/stjbbruins.
2023-2024 School Year Calendar – Some Important Dates
February 28 Pink Shirt Day
February 29 Family Math Night at St. JB (6:00-7:00 p.m.)
March 8-15 March Break
March 29 Good Friday (no school)
April 1 Easter Monday (no school)
April 8 **PA Day (Moved from April 19th)**
May 6-10 Catholic Education Week
May 9 St. Josephine Bakhita CES Grand Opening Ceremony (5:30 p.m.)
May 20 Victoria Day (no school)
May 31 PA Day
June 24 Term 2 Report Card Distribution
June 27 Last Day of School for Students
June 28 PA Day