HYLAND HEIGHTS E.S. HAWK TALK NOVEMBER NEWS, 2013 Dear Parents & Guardians, Principal, D. Heaslip 519-925-3745, Attendance: Ext. 100 * Press ‘0’ to connect directly with the office st On October 31 , Hyland Heights held another very successful Disco-themed Boogie-a-thon. Our Intermediate students played a key role in preparing for our primary fundraiser for the year and supported by teaching our younger students how to dance (YMCA, Bunny Hop, Electric Slide, and more... These students also demonstrated moves on our mini-stage so everyone could join in! A decorating team created a true Disco atmosphere, while our set-up, tech, and disc jockey teams kept the music going throughout. HHES staff offered up dream prizes for students and Parent’s Council again provided the grand prize of a $100. Visa Certificate. It would be a total understatement to say that our school has been completely overwhelmed by the generous support and financial donations given to support this event. Student collections totaled $3405.85 and once again, the Scotiabank in Orangeville volunteered their time to count all the money on Boogie Day and matched student donations dollar for dollar. Special appreciation goes to Scotiabank and employees Carri Thorton, Erin Furtado, Lisa Kiser, Cheryl Ryk, Lorna Hashem, and Tawnya Hunt for counting and coordinating this incredible donation. You are truly amazing!! In addition to these donations, the McKechnie Family, Doug and Debbie, Darrell, Shelley, and Julie, donated an additional $1500. to the Boogie-a-thon in memory of their daughter and sister, Lisa McKechnie. Lisa attended Hyland Heights as an elementary student and as a strong athlete, always encouraged others in sports and fitness. Darrell is our daytime custodian and was inspired by the Boogie-a-thon initiative. Because of this generous donation, we are able to invest a portion of our Boogie-a-thon funds into replacing some very worn equipment that will be enjoyed by students for many years to come. We are delighted to share that a grand total of $8311.10 was raised and look forward to sharing in future newsletters, where these funds have been put to good use to support Hyland Heights students! Along with our shrinking student and staff population, Hyland Heights also experienced another staff change during the month of October. Tami Bye, who has served as an Educational Assistant at Hyland Heights for the past 24 years is now working between Glenbrook and Centennial Hylands. We would like to say thank-you and recognize her for the many contributions and support that she has provided students and staff over these years and wish her the very best in her new placement. During our recent Food Drive, students collected 1129 items of food weighing 918 lbs. Now that’s a lot of food!! Thank-You for your generous support in helping families who are presently living in more challenging financial situations, ensure there is sufficient food at home. During the month of December, our Me to We group will be holding a Winter Food Drive and a mitten/hat tree will be positioned in the front hallway for anyone wishing to donate warm items that will be used to keep students in our own community warm and dry through the wintery weather. th Please have a close look at the Parent Council news in the back of this newsletter and mark December 5 on your calendars to attend our Holiday Celebration Night between 6-8pm.Consider this a time to bring community Sincerely, D. Heaslip BOOGIE-A-THON PRIZE WINNERS $3400.05 (collected through student pledges) + $3405.85 (generously matched by Orangeville Scotiabank) + $1500.00 (from the McKechnie Family in Memory of Lisa McKechnie), for a Grand Total of $8301.70 GRAND PRIZE WINNER of $100. VISA Credit – Congratulation to Isaiah A. for collecting the most pledges, $278.00! Special mention also to Mason T. for collecting an outstanding $275.00! Prize Winners Principal for the Day – Tucker C. Take a Police Ride – Kalen F. Pizza Lunch with Mrs Heaslip & 2 friends –Abi B. Family Game Night Basket – Olivia B. Pizza Lunch & Craft with Tara & 2 friends – Mason T. Sideline Basketball with 9 friends at recess – Isaiah A. Kings Corner Card Game with 2 friends & popcorn – Madeline C. Ice Cream Sandwiches for your Class – Ryleigh S. Cineplex Theatre 2 tickets with drinks/popcorn- Liam V. Scholastic Book Credit – Erika F. $25.00 Brightside Gift Card – Avery M. $25.00 E.B. Games Certificate – Jacob .J $15.00 iTUNES Gift Card – Keenan K. $20.00 Coles Book Certificate – Sophia B. $20.00 E.B. Games Card - Celeen B. $10.00 School Days Certificate – Rylee G-W. $10.00 School Days Certificate – Alexis B. Remembrance Day HHES remembers those that have fought and given th much for our country. On November 11 , Junior/ Intermediate classes will attend an assembly @ 2pm. A number of classes will present poems, songs, and a media presentation in honour of our veterans. • • • • • Parenting Workshops – Fall 2013 All families have strengths and all families have challenges. These workshops are a safe place to learn and build on existing skills. All Dufferin Parent Support Network (DPSN) workshops are free of charge and open to men, women and couples. Registration is required. For more information, or to register for a workshop, contact us at info@dpsn.ca or 519-940-8678. www.dpsn.ca ~ Helping Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Build Social Connections Dec 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM — 1 night Princess Margaret Public School, Orangeville Social relationships are desired by all people, yet children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder often struggle to develop and maintain friendships. At this workshop, you will learn how to best help children with Autism develop social skills and how to encourage positive relationships. A Parent’s How-To Guide for Helping Your Child in Math By: Gina Betts & Rylan Pranger (Upper Grand Curriculum Leaders) Math education looks different than it did even ten years ago. Employers today cite that the essential 21st century skills of problem solving, collaboration, logical reasoning and the ability to think critically are the most important ‘look-fors’ when interviewing candidates. In schools today, students are asked to solve challenging mathematical problems that put more importance on conceptual knowledge instead of procedural knowledge. This leaves parents sometimes at a loss about their role and how to best support their child. As a parent, you are an invaluable partner in your child’s mathematics education; you are the first educator in your child’s life. Research shows that when there is a high level of family involvement, students do better in school. Below are some tips to support your role as a mathematics parent. Tips for Parents:(adapted from Doing Mathematics with Your Child - A Parent’s Guide http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/ • Real-life experiences that encourage and engage your child to think and talk about mathematics (shopping, sorting, construction, managing time and money, understand patterns and trends, make predictions based on patterns, analyze data) • encourage and provide manipulatives to explore mathematical concepts (toothpicks, popsicle sticks, money, chocolate chips, etc…) • be mindful of your attitude towards mathematics; strong, positive attitudes about math increase a • • child’s ability to feel successful and to persevere with challenging math tasks encourage risk taking provide a supportive, relaxing environment build your child’s confidence by engaging them in math activities that will allow them to feel successful engage in math activities or math talk in the language you are most comfortable with a math problem is not necessarily a word problem; don’t allow language to be the barrier to the mathematical concept presented build on memorization of math facts by ensuring the understanding of the concept (What does multiplication/division mean? When would we use it? Why would we use it? How did you figure out that fact? How can you use one fact to help you figure out another?) familiarize yourself with the Ontario Math Curriculum (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary /math18curr.pdf) in order to understand what your child is learning and what is expected of him/her Resources: • Homework Help (Gr. 7-10) https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org • Math Activity Sites - there are many more sites in the Doing Mathematics with Your Child (links) http://www.mathstories.com http://www.hoodamath.com/games/ http://www.mathplayground.com http://www.funbrain.com/teachers/subj_math.html http://www.aplusmath.com http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/main.shtml School Climate Survey Help us make our school safer and more inclusive for everyone! Parents are encouraged to fill in our voluntary school climate survey by the end of November. Our students in grades 4 to 8 will be taking the survey during the month of November. The information we collect will help us find out how safe our children feel at school, develop programs to prevent bullying and promote safe and inclusive schools, and decide if our current programs are working. We’ll use the results to make our school better than ever. All our staff will be asked to take the survey too. This is easy! • Go to http://edu-climate-surveys.ca/ • Choose a language by clicking either the “English” or “Français” button • Enter our school’s survey code 4-AKS-979-R and click the “Submit Code” button • Follow the instructions on the survey Remember – this is your school. Let’s make it safe and inclusive for everyone. Please fill in your survey by the end of November. If you want the survey in another language, ask us for a copy. If you have any questions, contact the school. Thanks for your help. On-line Bully Reporting Tool Did you know that in the majority of cases, bullying stops within 10 seconds when peers intervene or don’t support the bullying behavior? The Upper Grand District School Board takes all incidents of bullying seriously. That’s why we developed an online bullying reporting tool. Stop a Bully gives students and parents 24/7 access for reporting bullying. You don’t have to identify yourself – just your school – and your message gets sent directly to your school principal for follow-up. We will follow up on your report. encourage parents and teachers to communicate helpful information or concerns, at any point during the school year, where this supports student learning. February and June report cards will follow a more traditional format with marks for all subjects Winter Like Weather has Arrived! Please help your child dress appropriately for the weather by pulling out those warm hats, mitts, and snow pants. Students are outside for two 25 minute blocks each day and being dressed in warm clothing allows children to enjoy their break time and be more comfortable while outside. An extra pair of dry socks is also a good idea! You’ll find the Stop a Bully button on our school’s website and the board’s website (www.udsb.opn.ca/stop-a-bully). If your child is the victim of bullying or sees bullying behavior at school, please encourage him/her to speak with someone at school or use the Stop a Bully tool. For more information, contact the school. Library News Once again, our Fall Book Fair, which was held from October 21-24, was very successful, thanks in part to our terrific group of volunteers. Thank you to all students, teachers and families who supported the Book Fair. Because of the large number of books purchased at the book fair, Scholastics has awarded our school close to $1000.00 in credit to purchase new books for the Hyland Heights library. Your support is very much appreciated! Playground Climbers are Closed As days grow colder and snowflakes start to fly a time of change comes to our playgrounds. Metal playground parts can become very slippery, particularly against winter coats. Please note that, for safety reasons, our playground climbers are now shut down for the winter season. We look forward to using them once again sometime in April. We also ask that you take a moment to discuss this with your child. Students are not to be using the climbers before or after school. Thank you for your help with this to keep kids safe. Student Progress Reports The focus of progress reports is to share progress related to learning skills and work habits, and explains how your child is doing in subjects using the words: “progressing very well”, “progressing well” or “progressing with difficulty”. Progress reports will go home with the th students from Gr.1 to 8 on November 14 . Parentst teacher interviews take place on the evening of Nov 21 and all day on Nov 22nd. This is your opportunity to find out early in the school year how your child is progressing, what the school will do to help and what you can do at home to support his/her learning. Please note that while these are the only scheduled interviews for the year, we • • • Winter Weather & Bus Cancellations Decisions to cancel transportation is made by 6:30 a.m. and this is based on a number of factors including, weather and road conditions, checked first-hand by designated bus operators in each area, weather predictions made by Environment Canada, and information on road conditions from the local Road Superintendent. During times of inclement weather, please check the transportation website for updates: http://www.stwdsts.ca/ You can also listen to: 1460 AM CJOY,106.1 Magic FM, 99.1 FM CBC, NewsTalk 570 AM, 96.7 FM CHYM, 98.1 FM CHFI, 680 AM CFTR, 92.5 KISS FM or watch the A Channel News or CKCO-TV television news for school transportation cancellations. A message will also be left on the school’s Bus Cancellation/School Closure line as soon as we are informed. (519-925-3745 Ext. 501.) If bus students are driven to school on a “no-bus day”, please ensure they are picked up promptly at 3:15 p.m. allowing our staff to travel home safely during daylight hours. No Bus Day Attendance Hyland Heights remains an open school to all students when the buses are not running and is only closed when a rare School Board system closure occurs. Non-bussed students are expected to attend school unless parents decide it is unsafe for their child to travel to and from school. Final decisions about your child’s attendance rest with each individual family. If you child will not be coming to school, it is essential that you call the school as soon as possible. Please leave a message on Ext. 100, detailing the date, your child’s name, and the name of their teacher. Attendance calls are not necessary for bussed students. Leaving a message about your child’s absence provides us with valuable time to ensure that all students are accounted for and are either safe at school or safe at home/daycare. We have only three telephone lines so please keep trying until you are able to leave a message. Cold & Flu Season With cold and flu season approaching it’s that time of year again to get your flu shot. The flu is a respiratory illness that spreads quickly from person to person. Common flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain, joint pain, and weakness. The flu is more serious for the very young and elderly. They can get the flu from school-aged children who don’t seem sick but may have a mild case. Get your free flu shot. It protects everyone. If you don’t like needles, there's an alternative called FluMist®. FluMist is a nasal spray available for children and adults ages 2 to 59. FluMist® is not available at drop-in clinics and should you choose this option you will have to call to make an appointment. The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit offers free flu shots with no appointment necessary and drop-ins are welcome. Feel free to call 1-800-265-7293 or visit the following website at www.wdgpublichealth.ca for more information. PARENT COUNCIL NEWS Holiday Celebration Night Upcoming Fundraiser We are thrilled to be working with MacMillians this year as one of our fundraising efforts for our playground fund. Order forms will be sent home th this week and are due back before Nov 18 . MacMillians sells quality food products such as frozen cookie dough, muffin batter as well as pies, appetizers and gourmet pizzas perfect for entertaining this holiday season. Pick-up for th orders will be Dec 5 from 6-8pm during our Holiday Celebration Night. Please note all orders MUST be picked up that evening as we do not have the resources to freeze unclaimed orders. Our Parent Council is busy planning a Holiday th Celebration Night on December 5 from 6-8pm so save the date. With the help of parents, teachers and students we are planning several activities including a silent auction, crafts and choir singing. We will also be holding a door decorating contest for all the classes wishing to participate so be sure to come and place your vote for your favorite door! Further details will follow later this month. If you have any suggestions for events, would like to donate to our auction or would like to help organize or run an event please contact us at: SC.Hylandhts@ugdsb.on.ca Call for Volunteers We are currently in need of several parents to fill volunteer positions. Without the help of our parents many of our services, events, and fundraising efforts would not run. Following is a list of our current need: • 2-3 parents to count pizza money one morning a month • 1 parent to serve on the executive to assist with meeting minutes, council newsletters and basic written correspondence. Please note: Parent volunteers must have a valid police check. You can reach us at: SC.Hylandhts@ugdsb.on.ca if you feel you can help. Treasurers Report Last month we made $1182. from our pizza days. This money will go towards a Parent Council sponsored Arts Day for all students of Hyland Heights which will take place later in the year. In addition, we raised $515. from our Pita and Smoothie days which will be added to our playground fund for a total of $1730.89. We currently have a fundraising goal of $40,000 to replace our aging Junior playground. Next Meeting Dates Our next meetings are scheduled for the first Monday of the month: th November 4 & December 2nd Meetings start at 6pm and are located in the library. These meetings are a great way to find out what’s happening in the school and to get involved. All parents are welcome and as always there is free babysitting. Did you hear? The Holiday Celebration Night is coming up! Join us on Thursday, December 5th between 6-8pm for a night of Holiday fun. There will be free crafts for the kids, Photos with Santa, a raffle room, cookie decorating, carol singing plus LOTS more! **Come vote for the best decorated classroom door. The winning class receives an ice cream sundae party** Our Silent Auction will be opening on November 12th for bids. Come into the school lobby for your chance to bid on some AMAZING prizes: A Limited Edition framed David Laird Print, Dinner for 2 at Mrs. Mitchells, An iPod touch, Gift Certificates to Boston Pizza, there’s too many GREAT prizes to list! Bids will be accepted up until 8pm on December 5th. Don’t forget to come and pick-up your MacMillians order in the gym. HYLAND HEIGHTS E.S. - NOVEMBER NEWS MONDAY 4 Pita Day TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 12 13 Pizza Day 14 Progress Reports Go Home 20 Pizza Day 21 MacMillan’s Orders due into the office today 15 *QSP Magazine Orders due today * Picture Orders due today *Andy Thibodeau Anti-Bullying Presentation @10am *MacMillan orders due today 5 Dental Screening for JK/SK/Gr 2’s School Council Meeting @ 6pm (in library – babysitting provided) 11 Smoothie Day Jr/Int Remembrance Day Assembly @2pm Junior Volleyball Tournament at Glenbrook Red & White Day! 18 Pita Day BULLY 19 Anti-Bully Awareness Day – WEAR PINK! PREVENTION WEEK! DEC 6 Pizza Day 7:00-3:30 Me to We Members attending ‘We Day’ in Kitchener 25 Smoothie Day 26 27 Pizza Day 2 Gr 6 DARE program 3 Gr 6 DARE program 4 Gr 6 DARE program School Council @ 6pm (in library – babysitting provided) 7 Hyland Heights Reads Assembly at 9am Parent-Teacher Interview Evening 3:30-8:00 28 Backwards Day – Wear your clothing backwards! 5 HOLIDAY CELEBRATION EVENT @ 6-8pm 8 Gr 6 DARE Program with Officer Kilburn 22 PA DAY (no regular classes) Interview Day for Parent/Teachers 9:00-3:00 (It is helpful for students to attend with Parents) 29 6 *MacMillan Orders to be Picked Up! CONSTANT CONTACT ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS: In an attempt to be more environmentally Constant Contact allows us to send a mass email with a copy or link to our monthly newsletter and other school updates. We are working towards reducing the number of paper copies that are sent each month. Please help by completing the bottom tear off and send in with your child so we can include you. Email Address: ______________________________________________ Child/ren’s Name: ___________________________________________ Teacher/s: ___________________________________________________ Please note that a copy of our newsletter is also available on our school website at http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/hylandheights/index.htm