HYLAND HEIGHTS E.S. HAWK TALK
Principal, D. Heaslip
OCTOBER NEWS, 2013
Attendance Line: 519 925 3745 ext100
* Press ‘0’ to connect directly with the office
Dear Parents & Guardians,
Oct Dates to Remember
1
This month promises to be an eventful one for Hyland Heights
students. It is that time of year for everyone to have a look in the back of your closets for
your most treasured ‘DISCO’ outfits from the past. Given that it’s Halloween Day,
st
students may also choose to dress as their favourite character. On October 31 , we
look forward to holding our largest school fundraiser of the year – The Boogie-a-thon!
Funds raised from the Boogie-a-thon and QSP profits will be used this year to purchase
additional resources and special events that directly support HHES students. Depending
on the amount raised, funds will be used to support special guests, additional materials
that promote the Arts and Sciences, sports equipment, and technology. The Boogie-athon will involve students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 and preparations for this special
event will take place over the next few weeks as students practice their dance moves.
Pledge sheets will arrive home this week, draw prizes will soon be posted in the front
foyer, and we anticipate that it will be an exciting and Boo-eautiful day!
th
October 11 is a full PA Day and staff will be working throughout this day
developing school improvement plans for 2013-2014. 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 write more effectively through
understanding different forms of text and genre, as well as teaching mathematics
through problem-solving. More information and strategies that students are learning
1stWe
PARENT
COUNCIL
about will be shared in future newsletters.
look forward
to working in partnership with
all parents to ensure that your child or childrenMEETING
are held to the highest standards and
THURS.
SEPT 13TH
@ 6PM
that they enjoy a year of both happiness
and academic
growth.
th
Please note that October 25 is only
a half
PA day for students who attend
in the
library
school in the morning with a dismissal time of 12:00 noon. While we strongly
encourage all students to attend in the morning,
we ask
MEET
THEfor your help with attendance. If
your child will not be attending, please send a note ahead of time or call to let the office
TEACHER NIGHT
know. This will prevent time spent on unnecessary phone calls
looking for students.
TH
THURS. SEPT 20
Sincerely, D .Heaslip
PIZZA SALES 5:30-6:00
MEET & GREET 6:00-7:30
QSP Magazine Fund-Raiser Parent Interviews
QSP magazine order forms have also been sent home
this week. If you are
rd
November
looking to purchase magazines at a considerably
reduced23
price and bring even more
literacy into your home with a variety of interesting articles each month, now is the time
to renew or order new magazines. This
an opportunity
to order for yourself or to
PAisDays
for 2012-2013
purchase as a gift for that special person who has everything or is hard to buy for.
Ordering online is highly encouraged and if this
isn’t possible,
October
26th please have order forms
th
with payment in by October 25 so that all orders can be st
together.
January 21processed
/13
This year’s QSP magazine fundraiser runs until FridayndOct, 25th. This program offers
22 /13
over 600 magazines at savings up to 90% offApril
newsstand
prices! Also, if you are looking
to renew orders, to ensure credit for purchases
is
added
June 7th/13to the HHES account, please
log on to: www.QSP.ca to order and include the school number #7880. You can also
look up Hyland Heights school on the QSP website. If you have questions, please call
QSP at 1-800-667-2536. Thanks for supporting Hyland Heights! Keep on Reading!!!
Changes in After-School Arrangements for Students
We ask that you please make after school arrangements before the beginning of the
school day. Please send a note with your child or leave a phone message letting us
know when there is a change. The office is incredibly busy place with only one office
coordinator, making it difficult to ensure that changes are communicated late in the day.
Thank you for your cooperation and pre-planning.
2
School Council Meeting
@ 6:00 pm
Cross Country Running
2
Pizza Day
4-25
QSP Magazine Sales
6-16
Fall Food Drive
7
Pita Day
8
Gr 8 Career Event
9
Pizza Day
11
12-14
PA Day (no school for
students)
Holiday Weekend
15
Bus Patroller Training
15
Smoothie Day
16
Pizza Day
Oct 15-Nov 1 Hyland Heights Reads
17
HepB Vaccines for
Intermediate &
Guardisil for Gr 8 girls
Pita Day
21
21-24
23
23
25
28
30
31
November
4
HHES Book Fair
Pizza Day
Picture Day
PA Day in pm
(students dismissed @
12:00)
Smoothie Day
Pizza Day
BOOGIE-A-THON
JK/SK/Gr2 Dental
Screening
P.A. Days for 2013-2014






October 11th
October 25th - pm
(students attend in a.m.)
November 22 (Interviews)
December 20th/13
March 7/14
June 7th - pm
(students attend in a.m.)
SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
November 4th @ 6PM
in the library (babysitting available)
School Council News
We are delighted to share recent election results from the September Council meeting that established this
year’s School Council positions. These positions demand a considerable amount of responsibility and time
commitment to coordinate, communicate, and organize events that take place throughout the year. We are also very
appreciative of the many parents who offer to help out and support initiatives as they arise. It is the care and consideration
of parents that creates HHES as a place for community and learning! Congratulations to:
Chair: Charity Pigeau
Secretary: We are still looking for a secretary?
Treasurer:
Parent Reps: Candace Kitchen & Kristin Forbes
Teacher Rep: Julie Bannon
nd
Upcoming Meeting Dates: Monday, November 4th & Monday, December 2
School Council Meetings begin at 6pm in the library. All parents are welcomed and free babysitting is available.
HHES Library News
There is a lot happening in the library this month!
From Monday, October 21st to Thursday, October 24th, 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! The excitement is building around 5 picture books which will be vying to become the winner of the tenth annual
“Hyland Heights READS”. This year’s theme is “New Beginnings” and the winning book will be announced at a school-wide
assembly on Thursday, November 7th.
Student Peer Helpers
We were absolutely delighted by the number of students in Grades 4 to 8 who applied for Peer Helper
responsibilities this year. Students are provided with leadership opportunities to assist in many
different areas, including help in a primary class, assistance on the primary yard, in the office or library,
just to name a few. Peer Helpers make a positive difference to our school community and we say
“Thank-you” for your time and commitment!
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, and to demonstrate reasoning abilities are
fundamental to learning mathematics. These attributes will improve your child's understanding and interest in math concepts
and thinking.
A problem solver is someone who questions, investigates, and explores solutions to problems. They stick with a problem
to find a solution and understand that there may be different ways to arrive at an answer and attempt different ways to get
there. You can encourage your child to be a good problem solver by involving him or her in family decision making using
math.
To communicate mathematically means to use words, numbers, or mathematical symbols to explain situations; to talk
about how you arrived at an answer; to listen to others' ways of thinking and perhaps alter their thinking; to use pictures to
explain something; and to write about math, not 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 your child to write about the process she or
he used, or to draw a picture of how he or she arrived at an answer to a problem.
Reasoning ability means thinking logically, being able to see similarities and differences about math concepts in different
domains and make choices based 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.
Healthy Snacks and Helpful Lunch Tips
Preparing lunches day after day can be a challenge!
Make sure you pack lunches that have all four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide:
Include at least:
 One fruit or vegetable,
 one serving of milk or milk products (like cheese or yogurt)
 One meat or alternative (like sunflower seeds or hard- boiled eggs)
 One whole-grain item
Here are resources to help you:
 Canada’s Food Guide available from your school nurse or www.wdgpublichealth.ca
 Healthy eating on a budget. Visit http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/en/healthy-ontario/healthy-eating/eathealthy-budget.asp
 Healthy eating resources at www.eatrightontario.ca
When we improve what we eat, we can make a big difference to our health and well-being for years to come.
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.
EQAO Provincial Testing
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 reports in terms of students achieve
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 2011-2012
school year. It also summarizes the average results
from Upper Grand school district and the Province.
Primary EQAO Results 2012-2013
Reading
Writing
Math
School
63
65
70
Board
68
74
64
Province
68
77
67
Junior EQAO Results 2012-2013
Reading
Writing
Math
School
76
71
42
Board
76
70
52
Province
77
76
57
Soccer Tournament, Cross Country Tournament!
Special appreciation goes to Ms. Calder, Mrs. Mesesnel, Mrs. Millsap, Mr.
Palmer, and Ms. Davidson for coaching soccer and for supporting students throughout
the tournaments. Students clearly enjoyed and improved their skills throughout practices
and during friendly competition on the day of the tournament. Congratulations to the
team on a great season. Your hard work and dedication to playing as a team throughout
the season and playoffs was wonderful to watch!
Thank-You also to Mrs. Millsap, Mrs. Moylan, Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Bannon, Ms.
Davidson, for coaching and supporting students in the District Wide Cross Country
event and to Ms. Batchelor for convening at the event. These events take considerable
time to organize, coach, and lead. We are so fortunate to have a staff that cares about
all aspects of students learning and enjoyment at school. Special mention goes to the
following students for their outstanding Cross Country performance:
nd
th
Tyke Girls: Leah R - 2 place
Bantam Girls: Paige M -16 place
th
th
Mite Boys: Colin S - 20 place
Bantam Boys: Jacob M – 8 place
th
& Myles D- 14 place
th
th
Atom Girls: Heather P - 6 place
Atom Boys: Jake D 16 place
th
& Cody B - 17 place
Terry Fox Run
This year’s Terry Fox
School Event took place on
Sept. 27th. Thank you to Mrs.
Richardson and her class for
coordinating this special event,
along with the support of Mrs.
Calder. 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 $435.45 for
the Terry
Fox Foundation.
Way to go HHES Spirit!!
Rainbows at HHES
Rainbows will begin at Hyland early November. Rainbows is a group for students who are dealing with any type of loss
through death, divorce or separation. The group is run during one recess per week for 8 weeks by trained Rainbow
volunteers. The goal of our group is for students to connect with peers who are working through similar situations. Our
recess is filled with crafts, experiments, journaling and good conversation. If you would like your child to be part of our
Rainbows group, please contact Tara, the Child and Youth Counselor at the school.
Breakfast Program
Hyland Heights Breakfast Program is up and running. We are pleased to welcome students each
morning, who come to enjoy a healthy start to their day! Parents often ask how they can support our
breakfast program, we are happy to accept cash donations toward our program, or nut free cereal,
plain bagels, fruit or yogurt. A big thank-you toTara McCabe, Kit Stewart and Mrs.Wagner for being
the friendly breakfast greeters and servers to students each morning! If you have questions about the
breakfast program or you would like to make a donation please contact Tara at the school.
Junior EQAO Results 201
Inclement Weather
Reading
School
Soon the weather will be turning colder and snowflakes will begin to fall. Poor weather conditions can prompt
the bus companies
71 to
cancel or delay busses in the interest of student safety. If this occurs the following radio and television stations
are
notified.
Board
CBC FM 99.1
CKGL AM 570
CHFI FM 98.1
CHYM FM 96.7
CFTR AM 680
CJOY AM 1460
And the A Channel Barrie—TV
Province
MAGIC FM 106.1
76
75
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 519-925-3745, 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 is 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 nobus days. The final decision about 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
Writing
60
71
74
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.
Parking and Student Drop-Off
Please use the parking lot and student drop-off/pick-up
zone that is located near the Kinderpak (between the
high school and HHES). 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 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.
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!
CONSTANT CONTACT & ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS:
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 Name/s:_____________________