Principal s Message. To serve our students through excellence in Catholic education Inspired by Christ. Learning together. Serving together.

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1 ST. BERNADETTE CATHOLIC SCHOOL 155 Tweedsmuir Ave, London, ON N5W 1K Fax WEB SITE: Principal s Message December 1, 2015 As Catholics, we are fortunate to be able to celebrate the Advent season. The Advent season is a time of hope as we welcome the coming of Jesus Christ, our saviour. Some may say Christmas is a busy time, rushing to buy presents, getting ready for out of town guests, travelling, decorating our homes, and preparing for the Christmas feast. If our only focus is on the celebration activities of December 25 th, then yes Christmas can be a hectic time that can stress us out. We want to get away from the stress and focus on the reason for the season which is JESUS. As a school, we are starting to prepare for Advent by preparing class Advent wreaths. Every week during Advent, classes will gather to celebrate another week of Advent with a prayer service. We will celebrate Advent through prayers and songs as we hope together for the coming of Christmas peace and joy. Each week of Advent will have a theme. In week one we celebrate hope, week two is peace, week three is joy and in week four the theme is love. Advent Week One - Hope The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined. Is. 9:2 Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." "The Holy Spirit... he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life." (Catechism 1817) Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence (1 Pt. 3:15) Advent Week Two - Peace Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27 Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ, the messianic "Prince of Peace." By the blood of his Cross, "in his own person he killed the hostility," he reconciled men with God and made his Church the sacrament of the unity of the human race and of its union with God. "He is our peace." He has declared: "Blessed are the peacemakers." (Catechism 2305) Forgiveness, dialogue, reconciliation these are the words of peace in all the world! Let us pray for reconciliation and peace, let us work for reconciliation and peace, and let us all become, in every place, men and women of reconciliation and peace! Amen. (Pope Francis) Advent Week Three - Joy But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal. 5:22-25 the joy that the Lord communicates to us must find grateful love in us. Indeed, we achieve full joy when we recognize His mercy, when we become aware of the signs of His goodness.... He who receives the gifts of God in a spirit of selfishness does not know true joy; rather, it is he who finds in God's gifts the opportunity to love Him with sincere gratitude and to communicate His love to others whose heart is filled with joy. (Pope Benedict XVI) A Christian is one who is invited. Invited to what? You are invited to join in the feast, to the joy of being saved, to the joy of being redeemed, to the joy of sharing life with Christ. (Pope Francis) Advent Week Four - Love I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35 Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us. (Pope Francis) We love because He first loved us. Those who say, I love God, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. (1 John 4:19-20) Each primary class will have a couple of Advent kits where students will take them home for the evening and work through the kit with their parents after supper or before they go to bed to help prepare as a family for the coming of our Saviour. God bless, John Parent, Principal To serve our students through excellence in Catholic education Inspired by Christ. Learning together. Serving together.

2 Healthy Christmas Colours: Red and Green Fruit and Vegetable Day The Safe and Healthy schools committee is sponsoring Red and Green Fruit and Vegetable Day on Thursday December 17th. Not only are Red and Green fruits and vegetables a festive snack during the Christmas season just read about all the good things in them to keep you and your family strong and healthy. Nutrition research shows that red and bright pink fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals, such as lycopene and anthocyanins. Lycopene (pronounced LIKE-oh-peen) helps reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer and protection against heart attacks. Watermelons, pink grapefruits, and tomato-based products such as spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, and tomato juice are all good sources of lycopene. Red fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, raspberries, and beets contain anthocyanins (pronounced antho-sigh-uh-nins), a group of phytochemicals that are powerful antioxidants that help control high blood pressure and protect against diabetes. Phytochemicals, substances found only in plants, help your body fight disease and promote good health. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, Romaine lettuce, collard greens, kale and broccoli should be eaten every day. Nutrition research suggests that the more green veggies you eat, the healthier you will be. But what makes green vegetables so healthy. One reason is that they are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals substances found only in plants which help fight disease and improve health. Lutein (pronounced LOO-teen) is a powerful antioxidant found in green leafy vegetables that help to maintain good vision. Indoles (pronounced in-dols) are another group of phytochemicals found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The specific phytochemical content of different fruits and vegetables tends to vary by color and each has unique functions. Some phytochemicals act as antioxidants, some protect and regenerate essential nutrients, and others work to deactivate cancer-causing substances. Indoles, in particular, are able to bind to cancer-causing chemicals and activate detox enzymes that destroy them and prevent damage to cells. Karen Sevong Food and Nutrition Student at Brescia College St. Bernadette Bobcats Sports News Volleyball Season Draws to a Close Intermediate Hockey Team Both the boys and girls volleyball teams have had great seasons. Way to go players and a special thanks to our coaches; Ms Murphy, Ms Noonan, Ms. Irvine, Ms. Hoornick, and Ms. Buckley.. Having been able to watch a few games I thought our students demonstrated great character encouraging their team mates and respecting their opponents. Win or lose, we are proud of your accomplishments! The St Bernadette hockey team has teamed up with Holy Family to compete in the London District Catholic School Board Hockey Tournament on Thursday, December 4th at Carling Arena. Thank you to Mr Hilton for coaching the team. Staff and Student Volleyball Game The staff will be challenging the players of the boys and girls volleyball team to a match during lunch recess on Tuesday, December 8th. The cost of admission to the match will be a non-perishable food item. Come and watch this friendly match for a great cause. Basketball Season The basketball season is upon us. Mr Umbelina has volunteered to be the parent coach for the girls team and Ms. Irvine will be coaching the boys team. The girls and boys are looking forward to a promising season. Lost and Found Please take some time to visit our Lost and Found Box located by the stairs to the library under the display case. The students have been asked to look for items that they recognize to be their own. We still have a number of items waiting to be found!

3 Safe Dismissal and Dismissal Thank you parents and care givers. Our arrivals seem to be running smoothly with the busses parking in front of the school to drop students off. The dismissal procedure is running quite a bit faster with students exiting the front of the school and moving directly to the busses parked in front of the school. Just a friendly reminder for those crossing the street to The 12 Days of Christmas Starting December 3 rd and leading right up to December 18 th there will be a daily draw where students can win opportunities to take part in fun activities or win super prizes. A copy of the calendar is included in the newsletter. Students will be able to purchase tickets at lunch DAILY in the library. please use the cross walk across from the east parking lot. I realize it is a longer walk for those who are parked on Ottawa Crescent but it helps to get students in the habit of using the appropriate cross walk when crossing the street. We want our students to practice safe habits especially when it comes to crossing the street. Christmas Concert The St. Bernadette Christmas Concert is on Tuesday, December 15 th in the school gymnasium starting at 6:30 p.m. Each class will sing a Christmas Carol as we prepare for the coming of Jesus. The cost of admission will be a non-perishable food item. Sacrament of Reconciliation Father Ben, along with a few other priests will be available in the gym for students to participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday, December 9 th starting at 9:30. We are very fortunate that we are able to participate in this sacrament while at school. Christmas Mass St. Bernadette Catholic School will be celebrating Mass at Holy Cross Church on Friday, December 18 th. Mass begins at 9:30. Family and friends are welcome to attend. Fr Ben s Corner December the 6 th is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, who was the bishop of the city Myra in Turkey. There are many legends about him, the most famous being the one about a poor man who had three daughters. Since the father did not have enough money to pay their dowries he thought of selling the girls into servitude. St. Nicholas went secretly to their house at night and put a bag of money inside for each girl. The man used the money so that his daughters could marry. Saint Nicholas became known as the protector of children and was associated with gift giving. On December the 13 th the members of our youth groups present their Christmas Play. The play focuses on the connection between the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus! The doors open at 1:00 pm and the Christmas Play starts at 2:00 pm. Come and join us for this promising celebration! On December 24 th, 2015 the youth group will lead us in Christmas Caroling starting at 5:30 pm and we will continue our celebration with Youth Mass, starting at 6:00pm. Good News of great Joy for all the people (Luke:2:10) Christmas is here again, it is a time of thanksgiving, a time of joy, a time of happy memories. God s people thank to the Father for sending his beloved Son Jesus Christ to save the fallen humanity. God s people with joy welcome Christ who deigned to dwell among us. May Christ who chose to live among us, always fill your hearts with the joy and peace He bestowed during His coming. Merry Christmas and a grace-laden New Year 2016! In Christ, Rev. Fr. Benjamin L. Raze

4 Fresh From the Farm Thanks you to all those who participated in our first Fresh From the Farm Fundraiser! It was a healthy success! A big round of applause goes to our wonderful parent volunteers who helped organize and distribute the orders! Be an Angel! Types of Gifts: Focus on Tweens - mall gift cards, itunes cards, curling irons or hair accessories, nail polish and/or makeup kits, X-box or Playstation or Wii games, toiletry items, ie., perfume, skin cream, bath products/lush, tooh brushes, hair gel, alarm clocks or small electronics, movie passes, art supplies, Lego, slippers, fuzzy socks, sport balls and equipment, board games. How does this work? On December 3rd, select students will be decorating the angel tree (with 40 angels) and placing it in the west lobby of the school by the library. First, discuss the bigger idea of giving with your child(ren). Remind them how lucky most of us are and how important it is to give to those in need! Then, feel free to come into the school with your family and chose an angel from the tree OR write a note in your child s agenda indicating that your family has agreed to take an angel. Each day students will be reminded to come and chose an angel! Next, take the family shoppingand pick an appropriate gift for the child (age and gender will be indicated on the angel). Don t wrap the gift just attach the paper angel to the gift. Last, bring the UNWRAPPED gift to school BEFORE DECEMBER 15 and our volunteers will wrap and deliver them. Thanks for you continued support and generosity! JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL Wednesday January 6, :00 p.m. John Paul II Cafetorium St Bernadette Catholic School Council MOVIE NIGHT Friday, December 11 6:30 pm Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and come out and join us for a presentation of PAN. $5 admission gets you a bag of popcorn and a bottle of water! Hope to see you there! Come and be informed about registration procedures and course options. Take a guided tour of the school!

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