March 2016
Principal’s Message:
Upcoming Trips:
What a wonderful Masquerade Dance-A-Thon! The decorations were
amazing, the masks the students made were brilliant and the excitement
leading up to the dance was an indicator of things to come. The leadership
of our Grade 6 students helped to get even our youngest students moving
to the music. Students were kept busy with music for dancing and a tempting prize table with something for everyone!
On April 11th, our Grade 1 students
will be travelling to Island Lake Outdoor Education Centre to explore and
learn about the Maple Syrup making
process.
Dufferin Youth Festival of the Arts will
see many of our students participating
and sharing their love for drama, music, dance and visual art. The date for
this is April 27th.
Scientists in the school will soon be
arriving!
This year, our Dance-A-Thon raised over $7000.00! A new record for Glenbrook. WOW!! Congratulations to our top student fund raiser, Jace Allen!
His efforts are greatly appreciated by all of us at Glenbrook. I would also
like to congratulate our Grand Prize winner, Ramiro Harricharron. I am sure
he and his family will have a fabulous time at the Great Wolf Lodge!
A very special thank you is extended to the Parent Council for their tenacity
in accomplishing an immense amount of work in preparation for this annual
fund raiser. I know teachers and parents were very busy after school on
Thursday, counting tickets and organizing prizes. Thank you to those in our
school community who made donations for our prize table. Also, thank you
to students and families for their generosity and kindness in raising and donating funds for Glenbrook. Parent Council will be using this money to continue with the 2nd phase of the “Playground Project”. This phase will see
the installation of a “Natural Play Ground” suited to our junior and intermediate students.
February also brought us the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month
at Glenbrook. Students in Grades 5-8 took in a message of motivation,
positivity and GRIT from Jonathon Hood, a former CFL player and Toronto
Argonaut. In classrooms, students shared in a wide variety of learning
about Black History including focused books, movies and discussion. Just
last week, many students took the opportunity to enjoy some authentic Jamaican cuisine prepared by Tropical Bliss. Through these educational experiences, our student will gain some of the knowledge and understanding
they will need to contribute to a positive and inclusive learning space at
Glenbrook and in our larger community.
Lock Down Drill:
We will be holding a Lockdown Drill on Thursday March 24th at 9:00
a.m. This is part of our school’s Emergency Procedure Plan. The
Shelburne Police Department have been made aware of this drill
and a representative may join us while we practice this procedure.
School staff will be reviewing lockdown procedures with our students
prior to this drill. If you have any questions about our lockdown drill,
please contact Mrs. Smith in the school office.
Dental Screening for JK,
SK Grade 2 Students:
Public Health provides dental screening for all student in JK, SK Grades 2
and other students as appropriate.
Screening is provided under the
Health Protection and Promotion Act
and any information is collected according to the Public Health privacy
policy.
Glenbrook’s JK, SK, Grade 2 and other students as appropriate will be
screened on Tuesday, March 22nd
and Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016. A
“screening” is a quick look in the
mouth by a registered dental hygienist.
She uses a sterilized dental mirror and
protective vinyl gloves for each child.
This screening is not meant to replace
a full examination by your family dentist. Parents will be notified if the hygienist notices an urgent dental condition.
If parents do not want their child
screened at school, please call the
Public Health Unit at 1-800-265-7293
ext. 5662 one week before the date of
the visit. Please leave your child’s full
name, school, birth date and grade.
March Break — Monday, March 14th to Friday March 18th
Revised Physical and Health Education Curriculum:
The revised Physical and Health Education Curriculum (2015) is mandated to be implemented across schools in Ontario this year.
The Ministry has provided many parent resources that may assist in understanding the curriculum content . Below you will find links
to some of these documents.
The curriculum as a whole aims to help children understand themselves and others, to think critically to make healthy choices, to develop and maintain healthy relationships, to be safe physically and emotionally and to be physically active for life. Our classroom
teachers will be communicating with parents two weeks prior to teaching lessons that are specific to the Human Development and
Sexual Health area of the curriculum.
A Parent’s Guide to the Revised Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Grades 1 to 12
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/HPEguideRev.pdf
A Parent’s Guide: Human Development and Sexual Health in the Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Grades 1-6
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/HPEgrades1to6.pdf
A Parent’s Guide: Human Development and Sexual Health in the Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Grades 7-12
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/HPEgrades7to12.pdf
Nutrition Break Supervisors:
Lost and Found:
We currently have three (3) Nutrition Break Supervisors who come to the
school during our nutrition breaks to supervise students in their classrooms
while they eat their snacks and then supervise students on the yard for the
remaining 20 minutes of the break. This is a paid position.
Lost and found items are located in a
box in the front hallway of the school
beside the front office. We encourage all parents to come to the school
to examine these items. We would
like to ensure that these articles of
clothing etc. are
returned to their
rightful
owners.
Unclaimed
items
will be packed up
on March 11th and
will be donated to a
local charity.
Occasionally we require replacement supervisors when a supervisor is unable
to fulfill her duties due to illness or other commitments. If you are available
during the school hours (10:30—11:10 and 12:50—1:30) and would be willing
to take on these supervision duties, please contact the
school office at your earliest convenience (519) 925-0580.
We are in the process of adding to our occasional Nutrition
Break Supervisor list during the month of March. A Criminal
Reference Check is required for this position. We appreciate any assistance that you can provide.
A Message From Mrs. Stewart in The School Library:
Students in kindergarten- Grade 3 are continuing to read Blue Spruce Books in the library. So far we have
read books about bike lending programs in Africa in In a Cloud of Dust; what kids would do if they made
the rules in If Kids Ruled the World; a new take on Little Red Riding Hood in Super Red Riding Hood;
how to manage a temper in Sam’s Pet Temper and a dog’s pursuit of someone stealing vegetables from
the farmer in Stop Thief! Students have been exploring books with a variety of activities and will vote for
their favourite in April. Junior and Intermediate students are enjoying the Silver Birch and Red Maple book
Clubs. During March Break, book club students are encouraged to continue reading over the break as
they need to have read 5 books to qualify to vote. Books are available at the Glenbrook and Shelburne libraries. Junior
and Intermediate students can share their opinions about the books they have read by accessing the reading club Blogs
at UG2GO and clicking on the club link. Happy Reading!
Read This Newsletter and Win a Prize!!!
Win a Basketball:
After your family has read this newsletter, please sign and detach this coupon. “Our family” must include at least one
parent/guardian who has read the newsletter. This coupon must be placed in the mailbox in the front office at Glenbrook school. A ballot will be drawn from the mailbox each month indicating the winning family for the month. This
month’s draw will be held on Thursday, March 31st, 2016.
Our family has read the newsletter corresponding to this draw.
Family Name:
___________________________Parent’s Signature:
____________________________
Talking About Mental Health – March 2016
Kids Do Well If They Can - Collaborative Proactive Solutions
In our schools we use a positive, supportive approach with all our students. One such approach that we follow in our schools is Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS). This is a very effective way to help children and
youth who are struggling, by working with them to build skills and resources.
Dr. Ross Greene, who developed Collaborative Proactive Solutions, believes that Kids Do Well If They Can.
If they are not doing well it is because they’re lacking the skills not to be challenging. If they had the skills,
they wouldn’t be challenging. Dr. Greene also stresses that doing well is always preferable to not doing well
(if a kid has the skills to do well in the first place).
When children and youth are faced with challenges that are too much for their skills and resources, they often
engage in challenging behavioiur because they do not have the skills to engage in positive behaviour.
Challenging behaviour in children and youth is best understood as the result of lagging skills (in the terms of
flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving) rather than as the result of lack of motivation
on the child/youth’s part. And second, the best way to reduce challenging behaviour is by working together
with the child/youth – collaborating – to solve the problems setting them in motion in the first place.
Dr. Greene’s Collaborative Proactive Solutions is a very successful approach for children and youth presenting with a variety of challenging behaviours, which is why we use this approach in our schools.
Dr. Greene also has many tips for parents, so they can use Collaborative Proactive Solutions at home. If you
are interested in learning more, please see his website:
http://www.livesinthebalance.org/parents-families
Information for this article has been taken from Dr. Ross Greene’s website.
Dr. Lynn Woodford, Psychologist, is the Mental Health and Addiction Lead for Upper Grand District School
Board
Follow me on twitter: @drlynnwoodford
Reminding our Students about the Importance of Obeying Crossing Guards:
As the snow melts and the days get longer, it is a perfect time to talk about the safety of our children getting to and from
school. Glenbrook has 2 Crossing Guards who are responsible for helping children cross our roadways safely. Often
our Crossing Guards are faced with situations that are safety concerns for the children and the Guards themselves.
Please remember that:
 Crossing Guards are there to protect the children. Be patient and obey the Crossing Guard’s signals.
 When the Crossing Guard is on the road—drivers must wait until the children are all the way across the road before
going through the intersection.
 Drivers need to respect the Crossing Guards signal until the children are safely across.
 School zones are 40 km per hour. Please check your speed when driving in school zones.
 Parents should talk to their children about the role of a Crossing Guard and the importance
of following their signals.
 Unsafe driving behaviour should be reported to our police service.
Please show your support of the Crossing Guards with a smile or a wave!
The Nuisance of Head Lice:
Head Lice are not a health hazard or communicable disease. The control of
head lice requires the co-operative efforts of parents and school personnel. We
are asking all families to check their children for possible head lice.
What are head lice?
Head Lice are tiny, wingless bugs that live on the head. They are about the size
of a sesame seed and usually grey to reddish-brown in colour. Nits are the
eggs of mature head lice. Nits are small, yellowish-white ovals that are about
half the size of a pinhead. They can appear darker in persons with dark hair.
Nits hatch in seven to ten days.
How head lice spread
Head lice do not jump or fly, but can crawl quickly. They are usually spread by direct head-to-head contact.
Occasionally, lice are spread by hats, brushes, hair accessories or headgear.
What to do when you find lice
• When lice is found, treat your child (see below)
• You can call Telehealth Ontario (1-866-797-000, TTY: 1-866-797-007, for free access to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
 Consult your pharmacist for appropriate treatment and/or talk to your physician
How can head lice be treated?
Buy a head lice product from the drugstore and follow the directions carefully. Usually you need to repeat the
treatment after a week. Your pharmacist can help you choose the best product. Consult your pharmacist or
doctor to make sure the product is appropriate for all of the people in your home (some are not to be used
under a certain age or when a person has certain medical conditions, etc.).
Make sure it doesn’t spread
Check your child’s scalp once a week under good lighting
Teach children how head lice are spread and how to avoid them
Keep long hair tied back
Do not share headgear such as hats, scarves, hair clips, helmets or headphones and do not use other
people’s pillows, towels, combs, or brushes.




Myths
Using bleach, hair dye, or mousse, or getting a haircut will not prevent head lice.
Head lice do not result from a lack of cleanliness.
There are no products known to prevent head lice.
Animals do not spread head lice.




Where can I find more information?
http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/head_lice
Grade 8 and SK Celebration Photo Retakes:
Edge Imaging will be having an area retake day for grade 8 grad and SK celebration photos.
This will be held at Island Lake Public School on April 11th from 8am – 10am. This is a drop in opportunity for students
that have missed their photo day or would like a retake. Although no appointment is needed, it would be helpful if you
notify your child’s school to indicate you plan to attend. It will be a first come first serve basis, with a minimal wait time
expected.
UGDSB ‘Digital Saturday’:
The Upper Grand District School Board is hosting an open house featuring displays and workshops on how
students are using technology to learn. “Digital Saturday” takes place on March 5, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. at Westminster Woods Public School in Guelph.
“In the last few years there has been exponential growth in the use of technological tools and resources in
Upper Grand schools,” said Brent McDonald, Superintendent of Education responsible for Information Technology. “Students don’t stop using what they’re learning as soon as the bell rings at the end of the day. A
good number of these resources are available 24/7, so they’re used at home and school.”
A presentation on technology in the classroom to the board’s Parent Involvement Committee was the inspiration for the idea of hosting a technology open house for all parents. “We thought a Saturday morning would
be the best time for both parents to come out and see what we’re doing,” said McDonald. “Students can
come too.”
Digital Saturday will be an opportunity to explore and learn about:
 New technologies in the classroom like Chromebooks, UGCloud
 Assistive technologies to support all learners including Kurzweil and Read&Write for Google
 Robotics and coding and virtual reality in the classroom demonstrations
 Online digital resources for assisting student learning such as UG2GO, UGCloud and Homework Help

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.
We hope to see you there as partners in education!
Event details:
DATE: Saturday March 5, 2016
TIME: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Open house closes at 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Westminster Woods Public School, 140 Goodwin Drive, Guelph
For more information:
Heather Loney, Communications and Community Engagement Officer
519-822-4420 ext.725
heather.loney@ugdsb.on.ca
Grade 8 Graduation:
School Climate Survey: We Need Your Voice
Our Grade 8 Graduation will be held on
Tuesday, June 28th beginning with a class
photo outside of the school at 6:30 p.m. The
graduation ceremony will begin in the gym at
7:00p.m.
During the week of Feb. 29 - March 4, students in grades
4-12 will be completing a School Climate Survey. The
purpose of this survey is to determine whether or not our
students feel that their school provides a safe and inclusive learning environment.
We are looking forward to another memorable graduation at Glenbrook. Further information about the event will be sent home
with our Grade 8 students in the near future.
Staff and students will be planning this special event over the
next months.
The survey asks general questions about how the student
is feeling at school, as well as specific questions about
bullying. Staff and parents are also being asked to complete a climate survey about their school.
Parents can use the following link to access the survey, or
the survey can be accessed through our school website.
https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?
SID=SV_87VAOCZ4TdwN52Z
March’s Environmental Theme: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The environmental theme for this month is not a new one. We are talking about Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle. These are the 3 R’s of environmental stewardship and by practicing them
we will help planet Earth. Did you know all of them are not created equal?
The best one of the three is: Reduce.
Reduce means to use less of something. This is the best of the 3 R’s because we don’t even use our
natural resources to begin with! What could we use less of? There are many things you can think of. Use less
water, or use less paper, or – very important - buy less ‘stuff’.
Recycle is critical if we want to keep things out of the landfill. More and more items are starting to be recycled,
so be responsible and put them in the proper containers provided. If you don't, they end up in the regular garbage and harm nature by forcing us to create more garbage dumps that pollute our planet. We also need to
make sure toxic items like paint and batteries don’t end up in the garbage, but are brought to the hazardous
waste depot. And never throw our your old smart phone. Take it back to your cell phone company for recycling. It contains minerals that are being mined in areas that are destroying precious habitats.
The Möbius loop is the universally recognized recycling symbol. It consists of those 3 circular arrows. We can
put compostable items into our organic bins, like food scraps including fruit & vegetables, dairy, meat, breads,
as well as paper tissues and paper towels. We can recycle containers including plastics, glass, metals and
tetra paks and milk cartons. And we can also recycle paper, boxboard like Kleenex boxes, and cardboard. So
DO NOT throw these items into the garbage at home or the garbage containers here at
school. Find the right recycling bin. Let these items be turned into something new again!
Slogan of the month: Don't trash our future! Recycle!
Engaging Your Child in Mathematics at Home:
As parents we have the wonderful opportunity and responsibility for nurturing our children’s growth. Parents play
a key role in the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of their child. As parents we can usually find
time to read a story to our children, thereby instilling a love of literature, but we are often at a loss as to how to
instill a love and appreciation for mathematics.
Like reading, mathematics is a subject that is indeed necessary for functioning adequately in society. More than
that, mathematics is a subject that should be more enjoyable than it is perceived to be. Parents’ attitudes towards mathematics has an impact on their children’s attitudes. Children whose parents show an interest in and
enthusiasm for mathematics around the home will be more likely to develop that enthusiasm themselves.
Activities in the Home
If you have dice, playing cards, and a bit of time….oh the “number sense” fun you can have.
1. Work on Place Value-use a grade appropriate number of dice and use the numbers rolled as digits to “make the
biggest number you can, make the smallest number you can, make a number close to 100” etc. 2. Work on Number Sense-use 2 die to add numbers together….to make it harder, you can use the 2 die to subtract, and multiply. 3. War-Use a deck of cards to compare numbers. Each person flips their cards at the same time, the person
with the higher number gets both cards. 4. What’s my number? Someone holds a card on their forehead and asks the other person questions to try to
guess their number (for example, is it greater than 5, is it odd or even). Give it a go and have fun building number sense fluency together.
M a rc h 2 0 1 6
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
Pizza Day
4
Popcorn Day
5
Kdgn Skating
School Hockey
Game @ Grand
Valley
6
7
Zumba
Joint Parent
Council Meeting
@ 7:00pm @
MAPS
8
9
Hockey Tournament @ Alder
Arena
10
Kdgn Skating
11
Popcorn Day
12
17
St. Patrick’s Day
18
March Break Ends
19
24
Lockdown Drill
@ 9:00am
25
Good Friday ~
No School
26
Parent Council
Meeting @ 6:15
GBES
Math Night Meet- Pita Pit Day
ing for Parent
Council & Staff @
3:15 @ GBES
16
13
14
March Break
Starts
15
20
21
Zumba
22
23
Dental Screening Dental Screening
JK/SK & Gr. 2
JK/SK & Gr. 2
Pizza Day
27
28
29
Easter Monday ~
No School
30
Primary Skating
31
Pita Pit Day
March Break—March 14th to March 18th, 2016