E
P
S
5757 Fifth Line ✧ R.R. 1 ✧ Rockwood, ON N0B 2K0
Telephone 519-856-9529 ✧ Fax 519-856-4239
Website: www.ugdsb.on.ca/eramosa
N
Katrina Plazek,
Principal
February 2014 - Issue 6
Sheri MacKenzie,
Office Co- Ordinator
Sometimes the life lessons that are learned come completely unexpectedly and this was the case over our December holidays. Many families were left without power for many hours or days and this experience was one that illustrated how dependent we are on our services for warmth, food and entertainment. The shortages were faced with communities rallying around and children saw their families help other families. Younger students learned the value of our roads departments and hydro service workers. To drive down the country roads with no power on anywhere was like something out of a movie. We are glad that the outages are over, but this past holiday season is one that we will never forget. For many children, it was a lesson that could be described, but never really appreciated until experienced. It was like being a pioneer! Hoping that you and your families weathered the storm without significant loss. We will likely see storm clean up well into the spring when the branches and limbs can be safely removed and repairs made. Looking forward to spring, when the Arctic blast is over!
RD
We are pleased to bring Steven Lister to our school on Monday, February 3 rd from 7:00-8:00 pm to speak to parents about bullying. Mr. Lister will speak about types of bullying, the role of by-standers, cyberbullying, digital citizenship, how to help your child develop cybersafety practices and many other topics. Mark your calendars. You are welcome to bring your child(ren) to hear the messages again. The family conversations at home are very important in our community effort to make our schools safe and inclusive to all. Please join us!
Next year at Eramosa, Kindergarten students will attend school each day, every day.
Registration for full day Kindergarten will take place between February 3 your child is 4 years of age by December 31 st rd and February 7 th . If
, 2014 (s)he is eligible to register for
JK (Junior Kindergarten). If your child is 5 years of age by December 31 st , 2014 s(he) is eligible to register for SK (Senior Kindergarten). If you have a neighbour with children entering Kindergarten for the first time, would you please pass this information along to them. Please call the Office if you have any questions.

Term 1 Report Cards will be sent home with children in Senior Kindergarten and grades 1 to 6 on
Thursday, February 7 th (Wednesday, February 6 th for children in Kindergarten ‘A’). The report card will tell you how well your child has reached the expected level of achievement in academic areas as well as learning skills and work habits. Teac hers’ comments will reflect students’ strengths, needs and next steps to improve learning. We encourage you to review the report card and use this information to set specific, achievable goals for Term 2.
If you have any questions or comments about your c hild’s report card or ways we can work together to maximize learning, please let us know and we’ll be happy to meet with you.
Thank you for supporting this school council fundraiser! Please remember that this is a frozen product and there is limited storage place, so we would appreciate it if someone could pick up your order during this time. Chicken pick up at the school will take place February 6 th , between 3:00 – 5:00 pm.
Students and staff are invited to wear red, white and pink on February 14 th friendship. Happy Valentine's Day to all!
- the day of love and
On January 14 th , James Gordon, Canadian singer and songwriter came to the junior classes at
Eramosa PS and led the students through the process of brainstorming a song idea, generating ideas, using poetry to create the chorus and verses and creating a pleasing musical songline. On February 3 rd , Eric Traplin will come to entertain our K-3 children.
Thanks to the School Council for supporting these events.
There is nothing better than getting together with friends, having a yummy $3 supper, socializing and raising money to support the school, all at the same time! If you haven’t done so already, please send back your slips. It is entirely due to the support of the families and community and the hard work of many council members that have made this event possible. It promises to be a wonderful evening!

Our February school council meeting will take place on February 4 th are welcome to join us!
starting at 7 pm. All parents
The junior volleyball team has been selected and the team is busy practicing in preparation for the volleyball tournament being held at Erin
Public School on February 20 th . Go Eramosa Eagles!
Officer Kelly is teaching the OPP Kids’ Program to our grade 6s at Eramosa.
• OPP K.I.D.S Program was developed in conjunction with our front-line police officers and several professional educators to ensure that the content meets current student needs.
• OPP K.I.D.S will cover topics such as, Youth and the Law, Peer to Peer Relationships, Online and Social Media Awareness, Drug-Alcohol Awareness and Mental Health Awareness. Each topic will be accompanied by DVD’s to show how these lessons can be related to children and situations they may face throughout their lives.
• This new program is replacing the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program in our schools in Wellington County. We believe that with our ever changing society the need for a more current program, relevant to what’s happening in our Ontario communities, will better suit the needs of our children.
Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Cyr will be running the Read4Success program to parents of grade 3-5 students who are interested in learning reading comprehension strategies. This fantastic reading program will further assist student’s reading at home. This is a child and parent program. Information about the program has been sent home in agendas. This program will run on
Tuesday evenings for 4 weeks, beginning on February 11th from 5:30pm –
7:00pm. Mark your calendars! Contact Mrs. Cyr for further information.
East Wellington Community Services has successfully delivered a program which will pave the way for your child to experience a smooth transition into Junior Kindergarten . With the co-operation of Eramosa
PS, and Ontario Early Years funding, East Wellington Community
Services staff will be providing a junior kindergarten readiness program in the school. To find out more information or register your child call
Jane or Susanne @ 519-856-2113.

Students at Eramosa are fortunate to have a huge yard to play in at recess times. They are outdoors every day before and after school, as well as for three recesses during the day. We know that fresh air and regular exercise throughout the day improve learning. These breaks also provide opportunities for children to develop essential social skills of cooperative play and conflict resolution. “Indoor recess” occurs rarely, and only in cases of extreme weather conditions. Children need to have appropriate outdoor clothing at school, including snow pants, boots, and extra socks and mitts in case other pairs get wet during the day.
Outdoor clothing should also be labeled with your child’s name to reduce the chances of items being lost. Thank you.
Some Eramosa families have ordered name labels for their children's belongings from a company called Mabel's Labels. These peel-and-stick labels are suitable for all clothing, shoes, lunch containers and more. They are very durable, even after going through the dishwasher or washing machine. Our School Council is registered with Mabel's Labels and the school receives a small portion of the cost of every order placed. One parent commented that the cost of her label order was less than the replacement cost of just one piece of clothing that may otherwise have been lost. For more information please go to: www.eramosa.mabel.ca
.
The Upper Grand District School Board is introducing a new phone messaging system for schoolwide notifications. This system will be used by Eramosa Public School as an additional method to communicate information to our school population in a timely manner (bus cancellations, school closures, upcoming events, reminders, etc). When used, this system will place one call per household to communicate the information. The system is currently registered to call the home number; if you do not have one, it is set up to call the provided cell number. If you do not answer, the system will leave a voice message; the caller ID will be the school number (519-856-9529).
Please contact Mrs. Plazek or Ms. MacKenzie should you have any questions. We will be calling soon with a school wide message.
This call-out system does not replace the Transportation website for school closures, bus delays, etc. Please register for immediate email notification of bussing information at: https://www.findmyschool.ca/Cancellations.aspx
You will need to click on
Delays & Cancellations (upper right) and click subscribe to enter your email.
***Please note: In the event of power failure, we will not be able to access the phone system.***

Do you have any loose Canadian Tire money laying around that you do not want? We would gratefully receive it at the office to buy some small balls, etc. Thank you.
Free on-line math support for students in grades 7 – 12.
If you are a parent of a grade 6 student, please read the information about the free math tutoring web help site , entitled ‘Homework Help’ . When your child is in grade 7, which is not very far off, this site may be a great bookmark for next year.
We have some exciting news for February- we're having a Homework Help Open House!
We'll be opening up the Ask A Tutor chat on February 11-13, 2014 from
10am-2pm to show you and your students what the Homework Help chat experience is all about!
Be sure to log on to the Homework Help website during those times and show your students how they utilize this free educational website and get the help they need to succeed!
Have questions? Feel free to contact us at homeworkhelp@tvo.org and spread the word!

Making the Difference in Math - Heather Galoska – Elementary Curriculum Leader
With the dip in Provincial and Local EQAO results in Primary and Junior mathematics this year,
Upper Grand is looking to do everything we can to reverse this trend. Although test scores are an important benchmark for public education, supporting students in being confident, efficient, fluent, and accurate mathematicians is our ultimate goal. So how can we get there? How can we best support student learning in mathematics?
As a Board, we’ve identified four main areas that we are focusing on this year that we believe will make the most significant impact on student learning – Diagnostic Assessment, Consolidation of
Lessons, Student Independent Practice, and the Classroom Environment.
Diagnostic Assessment
If you want to reach a goal, you have to have a plan. And if you want to make an effective plan, you have to figure out from where you are starting. Diagnostic assessment (or assessment for learning) is exactly that – figuring out where students are starting from in their learning.
Teachers use diagnostic assessment data to plan the course of learning for their students – taking time on concepts where there is an identified need, and spending less time on areas of strength in regards to the curriculum. It informs teachers on what small groups they may need to bring together for some targeted instruction so that everyone’s learning needs are met to achieve the
Ontario Curriculum expectations.
Diagnostic assessments can take many forms – such as traditional tests or quizzes, student-teacher conferences, a page from a textbook, a math game, a math journal – or a combination of any of the above. None of it is used to generate report card grades; it is simply to inform the teacher of each student’s strengths and needs so that they can make an informed plan.
Consolidation
In a three-part math lesson, consolidation is the pivotal moment when the teacher brings together the learning for his or her students. Quite often student work will be shared, and this is the time for the teacher to explain and model concepts.
All conversation and teaching are focused on the learning goal of the day as, through student work and teacher examples, the teacher brings students to the point of understanding and confidence with a particular mathematical concept.
Independent Practice
“Learning floats on a sea of talk” is a cornerstone philosophy of current educational practice – and is one of the reasons the three-part math lesson sets aside time for students to work with partners and participate in classroom discussions about the math they are learning. However, we know that, although collaborative learning serves a very high purpose, there comes a time when students must be able to demonstrate their mathematical understanding on their own.

The end of every math lesson finishes with significan t time for students to practice what they’ve learned in the lesson by themselves. The teacher is there for support if needed, but independent practice is part of the consolidation of the learning – it is the time for students to practice the skills and habits of mind they are developing, ask questions, and feel comfortable with the new material.
Classroom Environment
Every classroom is unique space, reflective of the classroom community that works in there each day. It is important that every student feel safe, welcome, accepted, and respected within those four walls every day. Without it, learning can’t happen. Building classroom communities, full of diverse people and personalities, is no small challenge, and we are constantly striving to create and maintain this dynamic classroom space where every student feels happy and challenged.
Hand in hand with classroom community is the classroom space itself. Is the classroom a welcoming space? Are the things posted on the walls helpful for students? Is it easy for different types of learning to happen in the space? Is the classroom space inspiring? Does the classroom reflect the community within it? These are the kinds of questions teachers ask themselves when designing classroom space. We want our classroom spaces to send a message to everyone who walks through the doors – Hey! Great learning happens here!
In Mrs. Semanyks music class each student or small group were asked to create a song. They were allowed to use a familiar tune, however they needed to change the words to create a new song.
Here is an example of two of the songs 2 Grade 3’s created, showing awesome Eramosa spirit
By Mya--Gr. 3
(Tune: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
“Rockwood, Rockwood filled with rock,
Where people stop to laugh and talk,
Filled with laughter and surprise,
Like a planet in the sky,
Rockwood, Rockwood filled with rock,
Where people stop to laugh and talk.”
(Tune: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Bright, and brighter shooting star,
In the sky so very far,
Make a wish, it’s not to late,
Wish for a brand new China plate
Bright, and brighter shooting star
In the sky so very far.

JK/SK Parents - Learn about your child’s eating and activity habits
In February your JK/SK child will bring home a nutrition survey from Public Health called
NutriSTEP®. Please take several minutes to fill out the survey and mail it back to Public Health in the postage-paid envelope provided.
You could win 1 of 6 gift cards valued at $50 for returning the survey.
By filling out the survey, parents can learn about their child’s eating and activity habits. Many parents realize their child’s habits are normal while other parents learn a few things their child could improve on. You can speak to a P ublic Health nurse about your child’s growth and development. Call KIDS LINE 1-800-265-7293 ext 3616.
Can you sing?
Do you live in Wellington County?
Are you 18 years old or younger?
If you answered yes to all three questions then The Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora has something just for you!
They are hosting a singing contest at the Fergus Grand Theatre on Saturday, February 8 th spotlight the best young talent Wellington County has to offer.
that will
With over $4000 in prize money up for grabs, you know the competition is going to be fierce.
There are three categories:
• Soloist 13 years and under
• Soloist 14 - 18 years
• Duo or Group
Space is limited so register early at www.ferguselorarotary.com
.
Family and friends can come and watch the excitement by purchasing tickets through the box office at the Fergus Grand Theatre online at www.fergusgrandtheatre.ca
.

Ontario Provincial Police
Police provinciale de l’Ontario
FROM/DE: Corporate Communications DATE: January 15, 2014
OPP SUPPORTS NEW PROGRAM TO FIND MISSING OR LOST CHILDREN
(ORILLIA, ON) – When a child goes missing, every second counts. A current photo is sometimes the most important tool to help quickly and safely locate a child. Too often, valuable time is lost when parents are gathering information and photos of their child to provide to police.
A new free App called Find Me ID, allows parents to quickly disseminate their child’s pertinent information in the event of an emergency to their local law enforcement agency or other emergency contacts.
The App was developed by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. It will allow parents to store current photographs and information about their child, and will automatically prompt parents to update that information from data that is readily available on their smartphone.
The information from Find Me ID can be transferred quickly through electronic means such as cell phones or computers, to those who need it most when a child goes missing or is lost.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is supporting this important initiative to enhance safety and help reduce the time it takes to get information about missing children to police.
QUOTES:
“As a public safety organization, we know that acting quickly when a child is missing is of paramount importance to the successful recovery of the child. The OPP is fully supportive of the use of this social media tool that will assist law enforcement agencies and first responders to locate and return children in a timely manner.”
- 30 -
Contact: Sgt. Shelly Tuck
Forensic Identification Support Services
Phone: (705) 329-6504

Sunday Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
2
-Groundhog
Day
9
16
23
3
-K-3 Music
Presentation
-Stephen Lister presentation on
Bullying 7-8pm
-Pita day
10
-Earthkeepers
Grade 5 trip
17
-Family Day
No School for
24
Students
-Hotdog Day
4
-EPSAC Mtg
7pm (Library)
11
-Read4Success
5:30-7pm
- River Run trip for Gr 5 & 6
-Pita day
18
-Read4Success
5:30-7pm
-Hotdog Day
25
-Read4Success
5:30-7pm
5
-Registration
Day for new
Kindergarten
Students
- River Run trip for Gr 1 & 2
12
19
-Humane
Society Visit
6-Earthkeepers
Grade 5 trip
-Poultry Pickup
3-5pm
-Term 1 Report
Cards go home
13
-Gr 6
Fundraising
Ends
-EPSAC Pasta
Dinner & Silent
Auction
5:30-
7:30pm
20
-Jr Volleyball tournament at
Erin PS
7 KB
-Earthkeepers
Grade 5 trip
-Assembly 2:35
-Pizza day
8
-Pizza Day
14 KA
-Happy
Valentine’s Day
Red , White &
Pink Spirit Day
-Pizza Day
21 KA
-Assembly 2:35
15
22
26 27
-5/6B Soccer
Tournament at
Marden
Performance
Centre
28 KB
-K to Gr 6
Skating at CW
Sportsplex
1:30-2:30pm
-Pizza Day