HYLAND HEIGHTS E.S. HAWK
Principal, Mitch Zuk
October 2014
Attendance Line: 519 925 3745 ext100
It sure has been a busy month here at Hyland Heights. Our students have settled into their routines, are focusing
on learning and getting involved in school activities. So far the following events have occurred:
• Peer Helpers, Cross Country Running, Soccer, Me To We, Terry Fox Run, Breakfast Club,
Library Helpers and Officer Helpers
Thanks to our staff for supervising these activities and giving up their free time to engage our students in out-ofclass learning activities.
As we move into the month of October, Mrs. Bannon, our Teacher-Librarian, will begin another great year of
Hyland Reads from October 14-31. Mrs. Bannon is also organizing our annual Fall Book Fair (more info to follow).
Hyland Reads is a school wide reading initiative where all students and staff read the same five books and in
November all students meet in the gym for an assembly to determine which book is their favourite. This year’s
books are as follows:
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The books selected this year represent the theme of diversity, equity and inclusion. Each book address an aspect
of inclusion and diversity in a way that promises to get students thinking critically about the world they live in.
Be sure to ask you child about Hyland Reads and engage them in rich discussion about the story characters, plot
events and problems presented and addressed. Hyland Reads promises to be a fun-filled, exciting event.
Teachers will be reading the books to their class and doing educational activities.
October also marks the month when we focus deeper on Character Education, School Improvement Goals,
Bullying Prevention Plans, Math Improvement Plans, and Equity/Inclusive Education. It’s an exciting month here
at Hyland Heights!
Your feedback and thoughts are always, appreciated, valued and respected.
Mitch Zuk, principal
Hyland Heights Fall Book Fair
From Monday, October 22nd to Thursday, October 25th, we will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair. This is not
only a great fundraising event for our school library, but it also promotes the love of reading. Hope to see you
there! Watch for more information to follow.
What are EQAO Results and How are They Reported?
In June our Gr 3 and Gr 6 student wrote the provincial EQAO test. This is a test of Reading, Writing, and
Mathematics curriculum expectations. Results are reported in terms of the percentage of students achieving
level 3 (B achievement range indicating a consistent knowledge of expectations) or a level 4 (A achievement
range indicating a more thorough, complex knowledge of expectations.) The results reflect the accumulation of
knowledge and skills in the primary grades and in the junior grades. The chart summarizes our results for the
2013-14 school year. It also summarizes the average results from Upper Grand District School Board and the
Province.
Primary EQAO Results 2014
Reading
Writing
Math
Hyland Heights ES
89
100
79
Board
66
72
60
Province
70
78
67
Reading
Writing
Math
Hyland Heights ES
68
68
42
Board
79
75
50
Province
79
78
54
Junior EQAO Results 2014
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Incle
Inclement Weather Circumstances
Soon the weather will be turning colder and snowflakes will begin to fall. Poor weather conditions can prompt
the bus companies to cancel or delay busses in the interest of student safety. If this occurs the following radio
and television stations are notified.
CBC FM 99.1
CHFI FM 98.1
CFTR AM 680
CJOY AM 1460
MAGIC FM 106.1
CKGL AM 570
CHYM FM 96.7
And the A Channel Barrie—TV
Please listen for the following lead in:
“All school taxi and buses serving the Upper Grand District School Board in Dufferin County will not be operating
today.” Decisions on cancellation of buses and (on rare occasions) school closures will usually be made by
6:30am. If you are unsure you can check the board website at www.ugdsb.on.ca or call the school at 519-9253745, ext 501. This extension is the Inclement Weather Mailbox for HHES. This mailbox is updated as soon as
the information has been relayed to administration.
As a town school, where the majority of our children are walkers, we remain open on almost all occasions and
are only closed when an entire School Board system closure occurs. We do attempt to run a regular program,
however if our numbers for the day are low we group students and offer a modified program for all students
who attend. Final decisions about your child’s attendance rest with each individual family. If bus students are
brought to the school on a “no bus day”, please arrange to have them picked up promptly at 3:15pm.
NO-BUS DAY ATTENDANCE
As the majority of our students are walkers,
it is our expectation that non bus students
will attend school on no-bus days. The final
decision abot your child’s attendance rests
with each individual family. If you decide it is
unsafe for your child to make their way to
school, it is essential that you call the
school as soon as possible. Please leave a
message on Ext. 100, detailing your child’s
name and the name of their teacher.
Messages can be left 24/7 and we would
appreciate if they are left prior to 8:30 a.m.
Providing this information to us in a timely
manner will ensure your child’s safe arrival
to school, which is of utmost importance to
us.
BILLETING INFORMATION DUE TO ROAD CLOSURES
If your child is a rural student, it is necessary for the school to
know where your child is to be placed if and when we have
emergency road closures and our school buses cannot bring
your child home or you cannot pick your child up. Next week
we will be sending a billeting form home to all rural students.
Please complete the billeting information section of the form
and return it to the school as soon as possible. Parents are
reminded to listen to the local radio and television stations for
any information about bus cancellations and any school
closings on bad weather days or you can check the Board
website @ ww.ugdsb.on.ca
Life Threatening Allergies
Please note that HHES does not allow nuts or fish in the school. This includes peanut butter. Wow
Butter is not allowed in-schools due to its resemblance to peanut-butter. Students and staff who
are allergic to nuts and/or fish can experience anaphylactic shock by simply coming into contact
with small particles of nuts or nut residue. We also have students and staff in our building who have
life threatening allergies to bee stings, latex, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. The symptoms of anaphylactic shock
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include: difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue and throat, unconsciousness. Please, do not bring these
products into the school. If your child has a life threatening medical condition, contact the office so we can
establish a Life Threatening Illness Management Plan.
Me to We
Me to We is a not-for-profit social change agent that engages young folks from all around the world in activities
that impact positively on others and the needy. Our school has been involved and supporting Me to We
initiatives for the past few years. This year we plan on undertaking the following activities:
• Change for Change: bringing in spare change to support our Kenya student, Musa.
• Used Book Sale (we require donations of used books for our end of November sale)
• Food Drive: October 6-13
A special thanks to our Child and Youth Care Worker, Tara for organizing this activity.
Terry Fox Run 2014
This year’s Terry Fox School Event took place on Sept. 24th. Thank you to Mrs. Richardson and her class for
coordinating this special event. It was delightful to see students setting goals about the number of laps they
wanted to complete and achieving these targets! Together our community raised $450 for the Terry
Fox Foundation. Way to go HHES Spirit!!
Equity and Inclusiveness
As part of our Character Education program, students will be discussing and reflecting on learning activities
associated with the following character themes:
Responsibility, Respect, Peace, Celebrating Community, Fairness, Compassion, Honesty, Celebrating our
Differences, Celebrating Local and Global Citizens, and Celebrating our Students. One area that we will be
zeroing in on is that of ethnic diversity and ensuring that all students appreciate cultural similarities and
differences. Stay tuned for more information.
October 24th Professional Development Day (full day)
Friday, October 24th is a full PA Day and staff will be working throughout this day developing school
improvement plans for 2014-2015. We will be examining our EQAO data to better understand the strengths and
needs of our students over time. By looking at the achievement trends, we can focus on how to best support our
students and align programs across grades. As we continue to build capacity through working together, our
primary focus this year is on teaching students to excel at Math and numeracy principles. More information and
strategies that students are learning about will be shared in future newsletters. We look forward to working in
partnership with all parents to ensure that your child or children are held to the highest standards and that they
enjoy a year of both happiness and academic growth.
Lock Down Drill
In the interest of student safety, the Upper Grand District School Board has directed all schools to conduct two
Lockdown drills each school year. A lockdown is used when it is suspected that an intruder has entered the
school and poses a threat to the safety of our students and staff. Detailed procedures have been developed in
conjunction with our local police services and provided to all schools as part of our emergency procedures
manual. In a lockdown, students and staff are directed to secure areas where doors can be locked and the
children are kept out of sight (such as classrooms and portables). No one may leave their secure area until they
receive an “all clear” from the authorities.
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In planning to do a drill, I have asked the Police Chief, Kent Moore to monitor and assist us by observing our
school response and providing feedback. Lockdown drills will become familiar to students just like fire and
tornado drills which we are also required to do every year.
The date for our first Lockdown Drill is: Thursday, October 21 at 10:15 am
Parking and Student Drop-Off/Pick-up
Please use the parking lot and student Drop-off/Pick-up Zone that is located near the Kinderpak (between the
high school and HHES) for picking up or dropping off your child. Only buses are allowed in the front area of the
school. Students being dropped off in the morning can access their playground from this area and students who
are late should use the front walkway to enter through the front doors for a late slip. For those students
requiring an end of day pick-up, please instruct your child to exit through their designated enter/exit door and
proceed to the east end of the school where the Drop-off/Pick-up Zone is located. For the safety of students,
the bus loading zone needs to be kept clear to allow for buses to make their way in and out of the front loop.
Thanks in advance for your attention to this safety concern.
Indoor Shoes
Students are asked to bring a pair of non-marking “indoor shoes” to wear at school. This helps to ensure our
school remains safe, clean, and healthy. A considerable amount of mud, dirt and other undesirables, are tracked
in on students footwear and we prefer this be left outside. Please help your child with a plan to ensure they
have clean indoor shoes at school.
No Dogs on School Property Please!
To ensure student safety and well-being, we ask that you do not bring pets onto school property while dropping
off or picking up your child. While they may be considered friendly, there are a number of children who have
had unpleasant experiences with animals and are fearful of their presence. Not all animals are predictable in
their behaviour especially around other animals. To prevent any frightening or hurtful incidents, we ask that you
leave your pet at home or tie them up off property while stopping at the school. Our responsibility is to ensure
that students feel safe at school and we ask for your cooperation to make this possible.
Student Absences
If your child is going to be late or absent from the school, please call the school attendance line before 8:15 a.m.
(519-925-3745, ext. 100). As part of our safe arrival program, we will contact all students who are absent from
the school and for whom we have not received a note or a message. If your child’s absence is going to exceed 14
consecutive days, please contact the office for special instructions. Always let the office know if your child is
going to be late or absent. This is especially important on “No Bus Days.” If your child does NOT ride a bus to
school but will be absent on a “No Bus Day”, please call in your child’s absence.
Lates/ School day
We ask that students arrive at school between 8:30 and 8:45 am. Outside adult supervision does not begin until
8:30 am. When students are late for the start of their school day, they miss the critical start of a lesson. This
places them in a catch-up position. We all know how it feels to be behind and have to catch-up in any task, not
to mention, learning something new, or acquiring a new skill. Please take school punctuality seriously and
ensure your student is on time, ready for learning. To further support your child’s learning by honouring the
8:45 to 3:15 school day, please avoid scheduling any appointments during the school day, if possible.
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Parent Involvement at School?
There is a great deal of information and research out there that talks about Parent Involvement in Schools.
There are Parent Involvement Committees, Parent Advocacy Groups, Parents for Education and Parent Councils.
There is also the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, parent responsibilities of work, home and outside activities that
require our attention. In today’s world – parents are pressed for time.
So what do you say when you get that request from us, your children’s school, to volunteer? How can you fit it
all in this school year? How do you stay involved in your child’s education, manage all of your other
responsibilities and carve out even a minute for yourself?
The good news is that the research about Parent Involvement has shifted. While we used to talk about parents
being in the schools (which we’d still love to see happen), it now talks about ways that we can work together to
support your children’s well-being and learning. John Hattie (2009) suggests that you can best support your
children’s learning by talking with them. When you do this, he suggests that children will be more successful at
school. As the start of the 2013-2014 school year begins, make it a daily habit to talk with your children about
their day at school. Other than the traditional, “What did you do at school today?” try these questions to get
more than the typical “nothing” response:
• What helped you learn today?
• What was hard for you today?
• What are you going to try to do differently tomorrow?
• What questions did you ask today?
• What questions could you have asked?
• What are you interested in learning more about?
As you children’s teachers, educational assistants, principals, vice principals, office and custodial staff, we value
and want your support. Support however comes in many shapes and sizes. Being involved includes more than
attending Open House, Parent-Teacher interviews and meetings, reading the school and classroom newsletters
and volunteering. Being involved means being a partner in your children’s education. It means talking and
working with your children’s teacher to ensure your children are coming to school each and every day this
school year ready to learn. Support means being a listener, asking questions, mentoring, being a coach, talking
about school and being a co-learner (Building Parent Engagement 2011).
Parent Involvement means holding high aspirations and expectations for our children. (Hung & Ho, 2005) Expect
the best from your children, hold the bar high and, this school year, when you ask, “What did you do at school
today?” don’t accept “nothing” as a response. There’s a lot going on in school and, as partners in your children’s
education, we want you to know about our day at school!
A Message from Heather Dyer, Elementary Curriculum Leader the UGDSB
Great Job!
There is no question that everyone loves a compliment. Our confidence grows, we feel happy and motivated, we
get a sense of accomplishment. But what if the only feedback we ever received were statements like ‘great job’?
Okay….what we did was good, but how do we get better? What do we need to improve? What, specifically,
about what we did was ‘great’?
One of the things Educators are working on in Ontario is looking at how to go beyond the “great job” and “good
try” feedback to give more of what’s called Descriptive Feedback to students around their learning. The goal of
giving descriptive feedback is to improve student learning in a specific and targeted way. The most effective
time for students to receive descriptive feedback is during the learning process so that they can take the
feedback given to them and move their learning forward or improve on what they are doing. Often descriptive
feedback takes the form of a strength what the student is doing well, and a next step what they need to work on
next. Usually the feedback is based on “Success Criteria”, which is a list of criteria that have been written, in
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collaboration with students, and posted for students and teachers to access throughout the learning. The goal is
for students to always know how to be
successful. Definitely Educators are going to be the main people giving students feedback. However, classrooms
are also including opportunities for students to give each other descriptive feedback and time for students to
self-reflect on their learning and where they are based on the Success Criteria. This is part of students taking
ownership for their learning and improvement with the Educator there to provide descriptive feedback and
coaching along the way.
In the words of leadership expert, Dr. Ken Blanchard, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions”. With descriptive
feedback students know precisely what they have done well and what their next learning goal is. It is through
giving specific, targeted feedback that Educators can help each student reach their goals and celebrate success.
Upper Grand Program Department News!
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,
Oct Dates to Remember
and to demonstrate reasoning abilities are fundamental to learning
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School Council Meeting @
6:00 pm
mathematics. These attributes will improve your child's understanding and
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World Teachers Day
interest in math concepts and thinking.
6 & 20 Pita Day
A problem solver is someone who questions, investigates, and explores
solutions to problems. They stick with a problem to find a solution and
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Gr. 8 Career Pathways
understand that there may be different ways to arrive at an answer and
6-14
Me To We Food Drive begins
attempt different ways to get there. You can encourage your child to be a
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Hyland Heights Reads begins
good problem solver by involving him or her in family decision making using
14 & 27 Smoothie Day
math.
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Cross-Country Meet @
To communicate mathematically means to use words, numbers, or
Orangeville Fairgrounds
mathematical symbols to explain situations; to talk about how you arrived at
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Pizza day
an answer; to listen to others' ways of thinking and perhaps alter their
Farm Aid is picking up food
20-23 Book Fair
thinking; to use pictures to explain something; and to write about math, not
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Lock Down Drill
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 22 & 23 Flouride and Dental
Screening
your child to write about the process she or he used, or to draw a picture of
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PD Day
how he or she arrived at an answer to a problem.
Nov 3 School Council meeting at
Reasoning ability means thinking logically, being able to see similarities and
6:00pm
differences about math concepts in different domains and make choices based
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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.
Look forward to next month’s newsletter more about how you can help you child/children further develop these
attributes of a strong mathematician.
Flouride Varnishing Program from Dufferin Public Health
(at Hyland Heights ES on October 22-23)
What is fluoride varnish?
Fluoride varnish is a protective coating that makes teeth strong and prevents cavities. It is commonly used by
dentists and in public health. Fluoride varnish sticks to the tooth, which re-mineralizes teeth, and helps reduce
tooth decay and cavities.
How effective is fluoride varnish?
Several studies have proven the effectiveness of fluoride varnish:
• When applied two to four times a year, it can largely reduce tooth decay for children.
• There was a 38% reduction in tooth decay among high-risk children who had received fluoride varnish
treatment for at least two years, compared to children who did not receive the treatment.
• No common or serious side effects have been reported. Young children and youth are able to tolerate
fluoride varnish very well.
How can my child receive fluoride varnish?
Public Health will be offering free fluoride varnish treatment to your child at Hyland Heights Elementary School.
The fluoride varnish is brushed on your child’s teeth with a small disposable brush by a health professional.
Your child can get the treatment three times each school year by returning a signed Medical History and
Consent Form before each treatment for as long as your child attends this school. You will receive a parent
package from the school with more information.
Free dental services available from WDG Public Health
• For children and youth 17 or under, who do not have dental insurance and are unable to access dental care
due to financial barriers
• Preventive services, such as teeth cleaning, fluoride application, and education about how to achieve good
dental health
• Access to regular visits to a dentist and emergency treatment if needed
Where can I get more information about these services?
To book an appointment, call the Dental Line,
1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661, or visit www.wdgpublichealth.ca for more information.
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