Kortright Hills Public School
23 Ptarmigan DriveGuelph, OntarioN1C 1B5(519)827-1601Fax (519)827-9251
Kirk Runciman, Principal
Anne Bonnar, Office Co-Ordinator
Julie Young, Vice Principal
Rosemary Coghlin, Administrative Assistant
Newsletter for March, 2014
From the Principal’s Desk
In only a few weeks the winter season will be in the
rear view mirror and spring will be upon us. In
advance of spring of course is the March Break,
from March 10th to March 14th. Whether
traveling during the holidays or enjoying a
“staycation”, the entire staff of KHPS
wishes our school community a safe,
happy and healthy March Break.
Kirk Runciman
Principal
What are manipulatives?
In math classrooms today, teachers are using
manipulatives to help students learn mathematics.
Manipulative materials are any concrete objects that
allow students to explore an idea in an active, handson approach. Manipulatives can be almost anything –
blocks, shapes, spinners or even paper that is cut or
folded.
The power of using manipulatives is that they let the
student connect mathematical ideas and symbols to
physical objects, thus promoting better
understanding. For example, students in Grade 5
must learn about decimal numbers. Students make a
common mistake when comparing 0.7 and 0.56,
thinking that 7 tenths is a smaller number than 56
hundredths. This is because students think that a
two-digit number, such as 56 hundredths is larger
than a one-digit number, 7 tenths. That “rule” works
for whole numbers, but not decimals. If the students
are asked to build these numbers using a
manipulative such as base ten blocks, they can
immediately see that 7 tenths is larger than 56
hundredths. They connect the model to the concept
of the size of the numbers. With many experiences
building and representing using manipulatives,
students can deepen their understanding of abstract
math concepts.
Manipulatives can also be tools to help students solve
problems. By using physical models to represent
their thinking, they can move and adapt the
materials as they explore possible solutions to
problems. In real life, many people use models to
help solve problems, such as an architect who might
construct a model of a building or an engineer who
might build a prototype of a piece of equipment.
For many students, concrete materials provide
support in dealing with a subject that can be
difficult and confusing. Students begin learning
about a concept using manipulatives and progress to
recording their work with manipulatives. Students
connect their constructions to the written record of
symbols and numbers. Concrete materials are
imperative for exploration and experimentation with
math ideas as students develop meaning. We want all
students to be confident mathematicians that can
explain and represent their thinking accurately,
effectively and efficiently.
Digital Saturday Open House - March 22, 2014
The Upper Grand District School Board is hosting an
open house featuring displays and brief workshops
on how students are using technology to learn.
“Digital Saturday” takes place on March 22, 2014
from 9 am to 12:30 pm at King George PS, 72 Lemon
Street in Guelph. Doors will open at 9:00 am for
displays. Brief workshops will start at 10:00 am and
be repeated until noon. The open house will close at
12:30 pm.
Digital Saturday will be an opportunity to explore
and learn about:
●
new technologies in the classroom like
Chromebooks, UGCloud and iPads
●
●
assistive technologies to support all learners
for a free online Math game that supports
Google
Mental Math abilities and builds confidence
online digital resources for assisting student
with problem solving questions.
Homework Help
parent engagement strategies for home use
of technology
●
Go to https://www.prodigygame.com/Canada/
including Kurzweil and Read&Write for
learning such as UG2GO, UGCloud and
●
1.
appropriate use of technology, digital
citizenship and personal technologies in our
classrooms
There will be a variety of short workshops repeated
throughout the morning as well as displays
highlighting the use of technology as a student
learning tool in the Upper Grand District School
Board.
There will be lots of opportunities for interaction
and co-learning. Older children (8 and up) may find
the display tables and workshops informative and
engaging.
Childcare for children ages 3-7 is available during
the event. Please pre-register for childcare online
at: http://bit.ly/digitalsaturday
We hope to see you there as partners in education!
Math Games to Play at Home
Do you read with your child
every night? Is it a positive
experience that creates a love
of reading between you and your
child?
Do you play a fun math game with your child every
night? Is it a positive experience that creates a love
of math between you and your child?
Does your child bring home a library book from
school? Does your child bring home a math game
from school?
Did you answer these questions differently? Do you
view reading differently than math? Are you looking
for a way to make practicing math skills at home
more fun and exciting for your child? There are lots
of online computer games and apps that make
practicing math skills more engaging for your child.
Beginning this month, and from now until June we will
be including some math games in our newsletter that
you can play at home with your children. Math
continues to be a focus at our school and within our
board and we hope it will be a focus for you at home
as well.
2. “Race to 10, 50 or 100” Roll the dice and add
up each turn. First one to 10, 50 or 100 wins.
Multiply the numbers for older students.
3. “Guess my number” Place a sticky note on
your child’s back and have them guess the
number by asking only yes/no questions (Is it
bigger than 500, is it odd/even, etc.)
4. Play dominos, cribbage or yahtzee
Send us an email with your favourite math game, so
that we can share the word with all our families and
send a message to our students, that learning math
happens every day all around us.
A Warm Welcome from the Library
Richard Scrimger, author of "Ink Me", will be visiting
our Grade 6 - 8 students on Monday, March 3rd, as
part of an upcoming literacy event. As well as having
the opportunity to meet Richard Scrimger at our
school, students and families are also invited to
attend an evening event where all seven authors will
be present. I hope to see you there!
Seven the Series Author Event
Monday, March 3rd
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm at Centennial CVI
Admission is free to all students and families!
If you would like to learn more about the series or
the authors, click on the links below.
Trailer: http://bit.ly/7SeriesTrailer
Website: http://bit.ly/7SeriesSite
Authors:
Richard Scrimger
Sigmund Brouwer
Eric Walters
Ted Staunton
Norah McClintock
John Wilson
Shane Peacock
Thank you for your
continued support of our
library programs,
Sheila Morgan
Teacher Librarian
sheila.morgan@ugdsb.on.ca
http://bit.ly/KHPSLibrary
School Stuff
Please remember that there will be
no classes on Friday, March 7th.
This is a Ministry
Mandated Day.
The March Break
for students will follow from
Monday, March 10th to Friday,
March 14th.
See you on Monday, March 17th. Have a restful and
enjoyable week.
Kindergarten Registration
If your child will be new to the school and you have
not had a chance to register for Junior Kindergarten
as of yet, please do so as soon as
possible. In addition, if you have a new
neighbour, please pass on this
message to them so that they
register quickly.
Moving?
We are in the process of preparing for
the next school year. An important
starting point is to determine our school
population. Families who are moving out of our
school community before September, 2014 are asked
to contact the office (827-1601).
Thank you for your assistance.
Safety, Safety, Safety!
The front of the school is a very busy place between
8:30 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. and 3:35 p.m.
Buses, cars and students are prominent during these
times and parents are reminded to respect the
safety measures that are in place. The
parking lots of the school are not to be
used as drop off points for our students.
Parking is available in designated areas
along Ptarmigan Drive, Merganser Drive
and Mallard Court. Parents are also reminded to
have their children cross at the cross-walk at the
front of the school should they be picking up on the
other side of the street. We have also had some
drivers doing U turns without making sure that it’s
clear. Please use extra caution when dropping off
your children on Ptarmigan.
Traffic Facts
•
•
•
•
Approximately 115 children are killed each
year due to pedestrian injuries.
Approximately 1,800 children are
hospitalized each year due to pedestrian
injuries.
Most traffic injuries occur at
non-intersection locations, i.e.,
darting out into traffic.
PLEASE CHOOSE SAFETY OVER CONVENIENCE
TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE!
Handicap Parking
A number of our families have regular
need to park in the designated
handicap parking spots on both sides of the school.
Each spot is clearly identified. When you park in the
school lot please check that you are not parking in
one of these spots.
Dressing Warmly
Although we are continuing to experience some cold
weather, we try to go outside for each
recess and we do monitor the weather
carefully. Our students need fresh air and
love to play outside. Thank you to all
parents for providing hats, snowsuits, scarves,
mittens and footwear for your children. A change of
socks and mittens is also very helpful with our often
muddy playground. Shoes must be worn at all times.
Please provide your child with a pair of indoor
running shoes! Our floors do get wet.
Safe Arrival
Notifying the School of a Student
Absence
The rules of the Safe Arrival program
state that the school must know why a
student is not present on any particular
day. This means that school office staff
will continue to try to contact parents until one is
reached. This takes an inordinate amount of time
and often stretches the office staffs’ ability to
carry out other duties. Please assist us in speeding
this process up and calling when you know if your
child(ren) is/are going to be late or absent.
Messages can be left by phoning the school (519827-1601) and choosing extension 200. Please DO
NOT leave a message about your child’s absence on
the teachers voice mail. Please send any notes or
information about absences to the office.
Before and After School Supervision
The playground is supervised by staff beginning at
8:25 am. Students should not be arriving before
that time unless they are going to
a supervised activity (e.g. sports
practice). If your child walks to
and from school, he/she should
leave the school immediately
after the bell at 3:20 and proceed directly home.
Late Arrivals
The curriculum is so packed now that
teachers need to use every period
they have to complete it. Lessons
need to start on time. Late students
disturb the lesson flow, because teachers have to
re-teach to ensure the late student is brought upto-date. The consequence to the class increases
when students are repeatedly late for class. The
policy for students arriving late for class is that the
student must report to the office for a late slip.
Signing Out a Child from School
As part of the Ministry of Education mandated Safe
Arrival program, parents taking
their child(ren) from school for
appointments, etc. during regular
hours are reminded that they must
come into the main office and sign them out.
Further, only a parent or pre-arranged substitute
(who has been identified by you as the person
responsible for picking your child(ren) up is a legal
adult - over 18 years of age) may sign out a student.
Please have picture identification available to show,
if asked. Please assist us in keeping your child(ren)
safe by respecting this safety protocol.
Bus Behaviour
Students are expected to follow the
rules of the bus, listen to the driver,
remain in their seats, refrain from
eating or drinking anything while on the bus, and
follow the directions of the bus patrols when
entering or exiting the bus.
Home Safe
After being dismissed from class, either at
lunch or at the end of the day, students are
requested to go directly home or to a caregiver
before proceeding to other activities.
This includes playing after school on
the playground. Please reinforce this
message with your child.
Information Updates
Please help us to keep your records
up-to-date. If your home telephone,
workplace/business and cell phone
numbers change, please contact the
office immediately.
Please Donate to Our Book Drive!
Kortright Hills P.S. is participating in a book drive
for a charity called One World Schoolhouse to send
to schools in St. Lucia and Grenada. Please consider
donating any books suitable for kindergarten
through to high school that your family has
outgrown. Our book drive will run until March 24th.
We thank you for your support!
Sharon Wade
Primary Teacher
Kortright Hills P.S.
Illness
Please do not send your child to school when he/she
is not feeling well. Students who don’t feel well,
don’t learn well. If you are keeping a child
home for any reason, please contact the
office with that information before 9:00
a.m. We have also had numerous parent notes
requesting that their child remain
inside at recess time as he/she is
still getting over being ill. In some
cases there is a need for them to
stay indoors, i.e., broken limb. Also,
there are times when a doctor’s note is required
stating the reason why your child has to stay
indoors. It is not always possible to supervise these
children during recess and it is expected that all
children will go outside at recess. Please consider
keeping your child at home an extra day
so he/she can recover and return prepared for the
full school day. If you have changed your personal
information (address, telephone numbers, etc.)
please inform the school office ASAP.
Lost & Found
If your child is missing any clothing
items, please remind him/her to
check the lost and found box by the
front entrance. Parents are welcome
to check
the box as well. Items will be available during the
month of March and the first two weeks of April,
and anything unclaimed will be donated to a
charitable organization over the Easter weekend.
Valuables / Electronic Devices
As our society becomes more and more
technologically advanced, we are noticing
that many students are bringing valuable
items to school. Students are highly
encouraged to leave iPods, game boys and MP3
players at home for safe keeping. These items are
attractive and we cannot be responsible for theft or
loss of such items. We recommend that parents
make informed decisions with their child(ren)
whether expensive items should be brought to
school.
Newsletters & Special Notices
every month.
Monthly school newsletters and special
notices will be posted on our school
website. Our newsletters
will be posted at the end of
www.ugdsb.on.ca/kortright.home.htm
Click on the “Newsletter” tab at the top of this page
School Council News
The final installment for the Food Programs will be
deposited the first week of April, 2014. A reminder
that our school is participating in The Lunch Lady
this year. Parents can sign their children up online
at any time at www.thelunchlady.ca in order
for them to receive hot lunches once a week.
Keep an eye out for Special Event Lunch
forms in your child’s backpack in the near
future.
If you haven’t already, please take some time to visit
the KHPS library and look at the Parent Resource
Lending Library. The School Council has purchased
books on many subjects that parents may be
interested in. All Kortright parents are encouraged
to peruse the shelves and borrow some books.
As you know, Kortright Hills will start all day, every
day Kindergarten next fall. As a result of that, the
Kindergarten playground will be expanded.
The School Council has started a fundraiser to purchase equipment for the
area. We will be selling maple syrup
products from Shady Groves Maple
Farm. All the proceeds will go towards
equipment for the Kindergarten area. Watch for
more information going home soon and remember
that maple syrup can be a nice gift. ;-)
A couple of new School Council committees will start
soon, one to plan the kindergarten area, and the
other to plan June 5th Ice Cream
Social. Please let a member of
Council know if you would like
to join one or both
committees.
The next school council meeting will be Monday,
March 24 at 7:00 pm
All are welcome to attend.
Talking About Mental Health!
Let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Lynn Woodford, Psychologist, the Mental Health and Addiction Lead with the
Upper Grand District School Board and I like to talk about Mental Health! It is an exciting time in our schools and
communities where we can all make a difference in our children and youth’s mental well being, as well as
understanding and supporting mental health concerns.
Mental well-being and mental health concerns are closely linked to academic and social outcomes. Students who
experience mental health and/or addiction concerns often struggle academically and may not be able to
demonstrate their full academic potential unless provided with appropriate understanding and support. At Upper
Grand District School Board we are talking about mental health, promoting positive mental health and supporting
students with mental health concerns.
As part of Ontario’s plan to enhance children’s mental health and wellness (“Open Minds, Healthy Minds”), the
Upper Grand District School Board has developed its own Mental Health and Addiction Strategy. I am thrilled to
be the lead on this project.
The UGDSB Mental Health and Addiction Strategy guides the schools to promote awareness of mental health
needs, supports and services; to build capacity among students, staff and parents; and to collaborate with
community partners to provide support for students and their families. We are promoting positive mental health,
creating a culture of caring and empathy regarding mental health and addictions, and enabling all to collaborate
with community partners in a coordinated, responsive and effective manner. Students need support and guidance
from caring adults in their families, at schools and in their communities. These include ongoing secure
relationships with parents as well as formal and informal relationships with teachers, mentors, coaches, peers,
youth volunteers and community members. Ensuring positive student mental health is a shared responsibility of
students, parents, community partners and all staff. The Upper Grand District School Board is working to destigmatize mental health issues and promote positive mental health.
Each month I will be writing a column about mental health and well-being in the hope of providing parents with
information to increase awareness of mental health issues and promote well being in our children and youth and
within our schools, families and communities. I hope you find these columns interesting and useful.
Look forward to talking about Mental Health with you each month!
Health
JK/SK Parents - Learn about your child’s eating and activity habits
In March 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 Public Health nurse about your child’s growth and development. Call KIDS LINE 1800-265-7293 ext 3616.
March 2014
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
2
3
Day 4
Gd’s. 6-8 Author Visit
4
Day 5
7:30am Math
Bridges Gd’s 7-8
7:00pm Seven the
Series Author Event
9
10
11
5
Day 1
10:00 Jr. Basketball
11:20 Safety Patrol
Review & Recruitment
11:20 JK/SK Visits
12:40 Mad Science
6
12
13
Day 2
7
MINISTRY MANDATED
DAY
8
SCHOOL IS CLOSED
14
15
MARCH BREAK SCHOOL IS CLOSED
16
17
Day 3
18
Day 4
7:30am Math
Bridges Gd’s 7-8
19
Day 5
9:00 Medieval Madness
Gd. 4’s
20
Day 1
21
Day 2
22
27
Day 1
Gd 5 & 6’s to
River Run
28
Day 2
29
12:40 Mad Science
23
30
24
31
Day 3
Day 3
25
Day 4
7:30am Math
Bridges Gd’s 7-8
Gd. 6’s VIP Peer
Pressure
Gd. 7 VIP Mobile
Social Network
Safety
Gd 8’s VIP High
School Resource/
Open forum
26
Day 5
12:40 Mad Science
2:00 One World School
House Presentation
Intermediate Dodgeball
Tournament @ GCVI