DECEMBER 2013
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE:
December has arrived and the snow looks like it’s here to
stay! Before we know it, the holidays will be here too!
November was a very busy and productive month at
Credit Meadows. Our Junior Volleyball Cobras did a fantastic job representing our school at the Junior Volleyball
tournament on November 13th. Our Intermediate boys’
and girls’ teams have also been practicing and playing
some good games.
We had a wonderful Remembrance Day assembly. All
classes participated and contributed in some way.
Whether they made a wreath, sang a song, or read a
poem, the students and staff really helped this to be a
very meaningful event. We also had a couple of parents
who added to the mood of the assembly by playing the
bagpipes and trumpet. Thank you to everyone who participated, for helping us to remember in a meaningful way.
During the month of November there was an opportunity
for all students in grades 4 to 8 to complete a climate survey for Credit Meadows. Staff and parents were also
asked to provide their input. Staff will have an opportunity
to look at the results of this survey in January. These results will be used to guide our practice and develop some
next steps with regard to establishing and maintaining a
safe and inclusive learning environment.
Bully Prevention week took place across our school board
during the week of November 18th. During the month of
November, all of our students had an opportunity to discuss and learn about “Peace” as part of our school-wide
social justice program. Some classes also started to learn
about “Kelso’s Choices” to manage conflicts, as well as
participate in various class activities that focused on “bully
prevention” and/or “peace”. Furthermore, all students received a pink bracelet with the “Report Bullying” website
information on it.
As part of our focus on literacy, Ms. Cleary and Mrs. Wren
worked together to run a “Time2Read” after school program for parents and young children, with a focus on developing reading skills in our younger students. This five
week program came to an end on November 26th, and we
hope that the parents and students who participated found
it helpful—the feedback was certainly positive.
Finally, thank you to our School Council for hosting a
Homework Help and UG2GO presentation for our parents
on the evening of November 28th. Lots of great information was shared that evening.
Sincerely,
Vicky Crandall
Principal
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
December 4
December 5
December 9
December
December
December
December
December
December
11
12
13
16
17
18
December 19
December 20
Pasta Day
Student Council Coffee Fundraiser Ends
Christmas in the Meadows
Dental Screening
School Council Meeting @ 3:15
Pita Pit Day
Primary Concert @ 6:30pm
Cookie Day
Christmas Sweater/Character Day
Pyjama Day
ODSS band presentation
Orangeville Theatre Trip—Intermediates
Hot Dog Day
Red and Green Day
Orangeville Theatre Trip– Juniors
Dance—Intermediates
Christmas Head Gear day
Last day of school before the holidays
PD day– no school
Students return to school on
January 6th, 2014
REMEMBER:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20th IS THE
BEGINNING OF THE CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY BREAK.
Schools will be closed to students on this day.
Spirit Days at Credit Meadows:
We have planned the following Spirit Days for
December:
Monday, December 16th—Christmas
Sweater/Character Day
Tuesday, December 17th—PJ day
Wednesday, December 18th—Red & Green Day
Thursday, December 19th— Christmas Head Gear
day
We’re looking forward to lots of fun!
Friday, December 20th—No School
Page 2
CMES Code of Conduct:
A copy of our CMES Code of Conduct is in the
process of being sent home with students.
Students have had (or will soon have) an opportunity to review our School Rules that go along
with our Code of Conduct. As a reminder, these
rules are listed below….
School Rules to Follow
Do:
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Behave in a safe and respectful manner by acknowledging differences in people, their ideas and opinions
Treat one another with kindness and respect, especially
when there is a disagreement
Follow instructions that are given by staff members and
supervisors
Use a respectful tone when speaking to others
Assist the victim of bullying by seeking the help of a
trusted adult (i.e. teacher or supervisor)
Ask an adult for help, if you can’t solve a problem in a
respectful manner
Travel safely on sidewalks – crossing at designated areas
Use sidewalks to enter school grounds (do not cut through
parking lot)
Dispose of garbage appropriately and maintain a clean
environment
SOME PLAYGROUND
REMINDERS:
Now that the wintery
weather is upon us, we’d
like to remind students
that snowball throwing is
not permitted on school
grounds.
Parents please take a moment to review this
rule with your child(ren).
While throwing snow can be fun, it also has the
potential of causing injury to others, especially
when small stones or ice chunks accidently get
mixed into the snowballs. For the safety of all students it is very important that this rule continue to
be reinforced.
Thank you for your support in this matter.
Dress for the Weather!
This is a reminder to students (especially
older students) that winter is here and it is
important to dress appropriately for the
cold.
We have had a number of students going out for recess without the appropriate warm clothing on, or students are removing their jackets once outside. Some
reminders from parents may be helpful in this matter.
Student Council:
Don’t
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Engage in rough play or play fighting
Use snowballs, Indian rubber balls, golf balls, skateboards,
roller blades, wheeled shoes, scooters or bicycles on school
property
Use tobacco, alcohol or drugs
Use cellphones, pagers, cameras, personal media devices
or gaming systems during the school day
Bring music or wear clothing that promotes hatred,
violence and/or inappropriate behaviour
Engage in bullying types of behaviour – this includes
social, electronic, verbal or physical bullying
Student Council is excited to be leading our school
“Spirit Days” later in December, as outlined on the
front of this newsletter.
The Student Council is also in the
process of wrapping up their “Coffee”
fundraiser. Please consider purchasing
some coffee, tea, or hot chocolate from
our Mochaberry fundraiser. Money
raised by this initiative will go toward
supporting such things as special
events, arts days, and graduations.
Page 3
Health
What a good feeling!
December 2013
Learn about positive parenting strategies, community resources and programs.
Parents can call and speak with a public health nurse about parenting, child development and health related
topics up to age 13 by calling KIDS LINE 1-800-265-7293 ext. 3616. KIDS LINE is also the access point for
Growing Great Kids which coordinates services from many local agencies for children zero to six who have
special physical, social, emotional, communication and development needs. Speak with a public health nurse
Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. www.wdgpublichealth.ca/?q=parents
Curriculum Connection for Parents
Everyday children go about their daily lives exploring and discovering things around them, and by doing so they’re exposed to the
world of mathematics. And since mathematics has become increasingly important in this technological age, it is even more important for our children to learn math at home, as well as in school.
Attitude is Important
How do you as a parent feel about math? Your feelings will have an impact on how your children think about math and themselves
as mathematicians. Take a few minutes to reflect on these questions: Do you think everyone can learn math? Do you think of math
as useful in everyday life? Do you believe that most jobs today require math skills?
If you answer "yes" to most of these questions, then you are probably encouraging your child to think mathematically. Positive
attitudes about math are important for your child's success.
Mathematics as Problem Solving, Communication, and Reasoning
Helping your child learn to solve problems, to communicate mathematically, and to demonstrate reasoning abilities are fundamental to learning mathematics. These attributes will improve your child's understanding and interest in math concepts and thinking.
A problem solver is someone who questions, investigates, and explores solutions to problems. They stick with a problem to find a
solution and understand that there may be different ways to arrive at an answer and attempt different ways to get there. You can
encourage your child to be a good problem solver by involving him or her in family decision making using math.
To communicate mathematically means to use words, numbers, or mathematical symbols to explain situations; to talk about how
you arrived at an answer; to listen to others' ways of thinking and perhaps alter their thinking; to use pictures to explain something;
and to write about math, not just give an answer. You can help your child learn to communicate mathematically by asking your
child to explain a math problem or answer. Ask your child to write about the process she or he used, or to draw a picture of how he
or she arrived at an answer to a problem.
Reasoning ability means thinking logically, being able to see similarities and differences about math concepts in different domains
and make choices based on those differences or similarities. You can encourage your child to explain his or her reasoning behind
answers and encourage them to ask themselves, “Does this make sense?” As you listen, you will hear your child sharing his or her
reasoning.
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LIIBRARY NEWS:
Our “Forest of Reading” book clubs will begin in the new year . These book clubs, which are organized by the Ontario
Library Association, promote both reading for enjoyment and reading for information.
Named after trees, the “Blue Spruce”, “Silver Birch” and “Red Maple” book clubs are open to all interested students in
Grades JK to 8. Students have until mid-April to read 5 nominated books, in order to vote for their favourite. Any
books not available through the school can be found at the Public Library.
Parents and students may also want to take some time to visit the Forest of Reading website at www.accessola.org
INTRODUCING OVERDRIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY
You have devices and we have eBooks and Audiobooks!
The website is: http://ugdsb.lib.overdrive.com
Upper Grand District School Board is committed to bringing unique learning opportunities to our students
and we are pleased to introduce a new, free reading service providing digital books through Overdrive.
Why Overdrive?
The Overdrive collection is an extension of your physical library, only it’s online with 24/7 access to eBooks
and audiobooks. It’s convenient for students to check out titles anytime, anywhere with no worry about
misplacing a book or being overdue – these digital titles automatically return at the end of the lending period.
Overdrive can help students of all ages read more and improve comprehension. Struggling or reluctant
readers, learning-challenged, second language learners, and gifted readers can all benefit from this service.
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Enrich vocabulary and improve comprehension and pronunciation
Introduce students to books above their reading level
Teach critical listening
Help busy kids find time to read
How does it work?
A quick link to access Overdrive can be found on our student portal – UG2GO. Students can browse the secure website of more than 1000 eBooks and 175 Audiobooks. Login using your Windows network username
and enjoy on your computer, tablet, smartphone or eReader device. Talk to your Teacher-Librarian for more
details.