HYLAND HEIGHTS E.S. HAWK TALK
APRIL NEWS, 2014
Dear Parents & Guardians,
Through the commitment of Hyland Heights staff and their support of
students, there are a flurry of activities and events happening at Hyland
Heights during the month of April. Here are some of the many highlights:
rainbow loom club, choir in preparation the Dufferin Youth Festival of Arts,
Skills Canada competition club, girls & boys basketball teams, games club in
the library, Tuck Shop on Tues & Thurs led by intermediate students, and
continued Me to We projects that encourage local and global awareness of
responsible citizenship and community. This group is presently collecting
‘change for change’ and Rafiki bracelets, with profits going towards supporting
Musa so he may attend school in Kenya. Any additional funds will go towards
supporting the HHES breakfast club. There are so many ways that students
can become involved in the school community and it is amazing to see the new
ideas and leadership developed through these special events.
We are also grateful for the Hyland Heights School Council and the
many, many parents who have volunteered their time this year to run pizza,
pita, smoothie days, movie nights, and the extraordinary Fall Event that raised
a significant amount of money towards a playground fund. At this week’s
council meeting, parents voted that approximately $5300. from food days
would be used to support the following: $2160. to pay for Scientists in the
Schools in every classroom (K-8), $300. toward three different games clubs,
$500.00 to purchase educational apps for the school ipads, $1500. to purchase
4 new microscopes, $400. to support Hyland Heights Reads books, and
$5000. towards Gr 8 graduation, to take place on Wed, June 25th. Another
$1000. was also allocated from food funds toward the playground fund,
bringing it to a present balance of just over $8000.
Please know that these additional kinds of purchases directly support
students and offer opportunities to further enrich their learning experiences.
We are so appreciative of the many long hours invested by so many to make
this possible. Hyland Heights is a special community and we look forward to
continuing to work together.
Sincerely,
D.Heaslip
Inspiring Students
Thank you to remarkable Molly in
Kindergarten who, instead of
receiving presents for her birthday
this year, asked that her friends
purchase food to donate to the
Hyland Heights Breakfast Club!
Thank you to her special friends
who donated almost 3 large boxes
of healthy food that will enjoyed by
many and help to start their day off
great!
D. Heaslip, Principal
519-925-3745, Attendance: Ext. 100
* Press ‘0’ to connect directly with the office
Easter Weekend Holiday
A reminder that there is no school
on Friday and Monday of the long
Easter Weekend
th
Friday, April 18
st
& Monday, April 21
Kindergarten Registration
If you have not already registered
your child for Kindergarten for
September 2014, please drop into
the office to pick up the necessary
forms at your earliest
convenience. Eligible students for
the Junior Kindergarten program
must be four years of age on or
before December 31, 2014.
World Autism Awareness Day
nd
is April 2
The seventh annual World Autism
Awareness Day is April 2, 2014.
Every year autism organizations
around the world celebrate the
day with unique fundraising and
awareness raising events. By
bringing together autism
organizations all around the
world, we will give a voice to the
millions of individuals worldwide
who are undiagnosed,
misunderstood and looking for
help. Please join Hyland Heights
& Upper Grand District School
Board in our effort to inspire
compassion, empowerment and
hope by wearing BLUE on
nd
Wednesday April 2 2014.
Special Education Survey
Does your child have an IEP? If so the Special
Education Department would like your feedback about
special education supports and services.
A survey for parents will be posted on the Upper Grand
District School Board website from April 14- April 30th.
This survey is for parents who have children in the
Upper Grand District School Board with Individual
Education Plans (IEPs). The information from the
survey will be used to help in the planning of special
education supports and services. Responses will be kept
confidential and used in summary reports. Thank you
for watching for this.
LIBRARY NEWS
Every year many precious dollars are
wasted when library books are lost or not
returned. Replacement costs for these
books can be quite high, and may take away from the
money that could be spent on new materials.
Parents can assist with the problem of unreturned books
by helping their child choose a special spot at home to
keep library books, and by reminding children of
scheduled Library days. Currently fees for unreturned
books are $7./soft-cover book and $12./hard-cover
book. Rest assured, if your child returns a book after a
fee has been paid, the money will be refunded.
Family Transition Place Programs
Hyland Heights Grades 4-7 students are currently
engaged in Family Transition Place programs,
generously supported through sponsors for the benefit of
our students. Grade 4 and Gr 5’s are receiving
‘Stereotype Busters’, which involves discussions on
stereotypes, discrimination, intolerance, and bullying.
Grade 6 students are receiving ‘Inspire’ which explores
the use of empathy and building healthy relationships.
Grade 7 students are receiving the program ‘Power’,
which promotes personal safety through development of
healthy relationships and unsafe communication through
technology, and lack of acceptance from peers. These
programs will run beginning April 1 to May 20.
Talking About Mental Health (by Dr. Woodford)
Helping Your Family Deal with Stress and Anxiety
Everyone experiences stress during their daily lives and
there are times in our lives when we feel anxious. This is
normal. It happens to all of us. However, some of us and
some of our children/youth are anxious more of the time
and to a greater degree and this can be challenging for
the children, youth and their families.
The good news is that there a lot of positive things that
you can do as parents to help reduce the stress and
anxiety that you and your child/youth feel. Here are
some tips!
Listen: Take time to listen to your child/youth’s thoughts
and feelings. Being heard is very important and can
make someone feel less distressed by talking about it.
Talk: Let your child/youth know that they are not alone.
Lots of people feel stressed and anxious. It is normal,
harmless and temporary.
Share: You as a parent experience fear, stress and
anxiety. Model how you cope with stressful situations
with positive coping strategies.
Support: Let your child/youth know that you care and
support them as they struggle with stress and anxiety.
Practice: Practice calming strategies with your
child/youth when they are calm. Practice every day so
calming becomes a habit.
Encourage: When stress arises, encourage your
child/youth to use their calming strategies. Praise your
child/youth for using their calming strategies.
Model: Be a good role model for your child/youth.
Create a positive, predictable environment at home. Use
your own coping strategies. Allow your children to
observe how you face and deal with stress in a positive
way. You are the single most important influence in your
child’s life.
Here are a couple of calming techniques that you can
practice with your child/youth:
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Calm Breaths. When we are anxious we breathe
faster, which actually makes us more anxious. By
calming our breath we are sending signals to our
brains and bodies that things are going to be OK.
Take slow deep breaths.
Breathe in through the nose and out through the
mouth. For younger children they can blow bubbles
or pretend to. For older children/youth guide, they
can imagine breathing in calm and breathing out
worries or tension.
Keep taking calm breaths until the breath is smooth,
deep and calm.
Have the child/youth notice what it feels like to be
calm.
Muscle relaxation. When we are anxious, our
bodies become tense. By relaxing our bodies, we
are sending signals to our bodies and our brains that
it is going to be OK.
Sit or lie down.
Tighten up one part of your body (e.g. your legs).
Hold the tension for 10 seconds.
Relax your body.
Allow the tension and tightness to drain away.
Repeat tightening and releasing different parts of the
body.
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Tighten your whole body, hold for 10 seconds then
release.
Lie or sit for a moment allowing your body to be
totally relaxed.
Have your child/youth notice what it feels like when
their body is relaxed.
Hope these tips are helpful. The best thing that you can
do is practice relaxation techniques every day with your
family to build coping skills and to have calmer, happier
children, youth and families. Enjoy!
For more information:
http://anxietybc.com/parent/index.php
http://www.mindyourmind.ca/wellness
For children and youth:
KidsHelpPhone.ca 1 800 668 6868
24 hour phone line and website for children and youth.
If you are concerned that your child/youth is
experiencing excessive anxiety, you can talk with your
school or community mental health provider:
Let’s Get Loonie
(Materials: 2 dice, coins 8 pennies, 2 nickels, 4 dimes, 6
quarters and 1 loonie.)
Roll the two dice and add the two numbers together.
Take that amount of money from the centre.
(Try to always have the least number of coins in front of
you at a time).
Object: to be the first player to get “Looney”.
On the Way Home from Soccer or Baseball
How many goals/runs were scored in the game?
How many more goals/runs did we need to get to make
10, 18, and 25?
How many players are on the team? If they each have
one sibling how many children would that be? What if
half of them had 2 siblings? Now how many children
would that be?
It cost $50.00 to fill up the van with gas. How much
would 5 tanks cost? What about 8 tanks?
And for those nights that get rained out, how about
some old favorites: Puzzles, Pay Day, Monopoly,
Rummoli, Phase 10 or Payday
CMHA WWD: 1 844 HERE 24 7 (1 844 437 3247) - For
Guelph/Wellington Children and Youth Services and
Guelph/Welllington/Dufferin Adult Services
DCAFS: 519-941-1530 for Dufferin Children and Youth
Services
May 4-11, 2014 is Child and Youth Mental Health
Week. Next time I will share some information and
activities that are coming to your schools and
communities. Dr. Lynn Woodford, Psychologist, is the
Mental Health and Addiction Lead for the Upper Grand
District School Board.
Math Games to Play
Dear Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa and of course
the dog and anyone else living at our house!
I heard about these fun math games to play at home. Do
you think we could try them out? I think math is really
important and I just need some extra practice.
Guess My Number
Goal: Can you guess the number I’m holding?
One player takes two playing cards. The cards can be
ordered any way.
Be sure no one else can see the cards!
All other players take turns guessing what the number is
by asking math questions.
"Is it even?" "Is it odd?" "Is it greater than 10?" "Is it a
factor of 20?" and so on.
The payer holding the cards can only answer with a
"Yes" or "No", until the actual number is guessed.
Two for Two is What You Do!
Brushing your teeth two times a day for two minutes
each time helps prevent cavities.
If you don’t have dental insurance and can’t afford care,
we have free dental services for your children at Public
Health. At our dental clinics, we provide free cleanings
for children. We can help children with cavities and
other urgent problems get the treatment they need. For
more information about our dental services, call our
Dental Line at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661 or visit
www.wdgpublichealth.ca
No Nuts Reminder and No ‘Wow Butter’
A reminder to everyone that we have students at Hyland
Heights with life-threatening allergies to nuts (all kinds).
Please help us in closely checking food products before
sending them to school to ensure they do not contain
nuts. We are also not able to allow ‘wow butter’ at school
as an alternative. Because it looks, smells, and tastes
like real peanut butter, it is therefore difficult to tell the
difference from real peanut butter. Staff are unable to be
sure that students are noting eating real peanut butter
and students with life threatening allergies may develop
a false sense of security when students around them are
eating it.
Hyland Centre Child Care
200 Fourth Ave.
Shelburne, ON L0N 1S1
Located in Hyland Heights Elementary
School
Extended Day Child Care Program
Hyland Centre Child Care will continue to provide the
Extended Day Program for Hyland Heights Elementary
School! Hyland Centre is located in Hyland Heights
Elementary School and we have offered quality
childcare programs since 1989, in the same location. We
look forward to working closely with Hyland Heights
Elementary School and Upper Grand District School
Board to continue to provide before and after school
programs as well as full day; school holiday, PD Day
and summer care. Call us today for more information or
to determine how we can help with your child care needs
519 925 5690 or email; hylandcentre@gmail.com.
MONDAY
31
Pita Day
TUESDAY
PARKING AND STUDENT DROP-OFF REMINDER
NO STUDENT DROP OFF OR PARKING IS
PERMITTED AT THE FRONT OF HYLAND HEIGHTS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – ENTRY TO THIS AREA IS
RESERVED FOR BUSSES AND STAFF ONLY.
•
Elementary student drop off is confined to the Kiss &
Ride area at the north end of the (shared with
CDDHS) parking lot, located beside the Kinderpak.
•
Parents needing to walk younger students to their
classroom are asked to use the 5-minute drop off
area along the easterly side of the (shared with
CDDHS) parking lot.
•
Anyone requiring longer term parking are asked to
only park in the middle parking spaces of the
(shared with CDDHS) parking lot.
•
Traffic flowing through the (shared with CDDHS)
parking lot “one-way” will reduce congestion and
ensure that all parents, students and busses are
able to safely use this area.
APRIL EVENTS CALENDAR
1
Crazy Hat & Hair Day
Gr 5 Scientists in the School
FTP Program – Gr 4, 5, 6, & 7
WEDNESDAY
2
Pizza Day
Autism Awareness Day –
Wear Blue!
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Jr/Int Skills Canada
Team Competes in
Guelph
Gr 1 Maple Sugar trip to
Island Lake
3
Gr 1-6 Rocks & Rings
Curling Program
4
Gr 3 Swim to Survive
Program –O’ville
7
Smoothie Day
8
FTP Program – Gr 4, 5, 6, & 7
9
Pizza Day
10
11
Gr 3 Swim to Survive
Program –O’ville
14
Pita Day
15
FTP Program – Gr 4, 5, 6, & 7
16
‘Wear Pastel Colours’
Spirit Day!
Pizza Day
Primary Easter Egg Hunt
17
18
Good Friday Holiday
21
Easter Monday Holiday
22
Smoothie Day
23
Pizza Day
24
Custodial
Appreciation Day
25
Gr 3 Swim to Survive
program in O’ville
30
Pizza Day
MAY 1
Gr 5 Earthkeepers
@ Island Lake
Glenbrook E.S. Open
House @ 7pm
2
Gr 5 Earthkeepers
@ Island Lake
Dress as your Favorite
Fictional Character
Today!
7
Pizza Day
8
9
Library Book Fair
Library Book Fair
Library Book Fair Ends
FTP Program – Gr 4, 5, 6, & 7
28
Pita Day
5
Smoothie Day
Int Career Day Trip in
Waterloo
Gr 5 Earthkeepers @
Island Lake
29
FTP Program – Gr 4, 5, 6, & 7
6
FTP Program – Gr 4, 5, 6, & 7
Library Book Fair