JD Hogarth P.S. December 2015 Newsletter Principal’s Message: Our students have been engaging exceptionally well with our character education initiatives. During the months of November and December students are working on how we can all demonstrate responsibility. If you were to walk into the front foyer of the school you would see several responsibility keys posted on the bulletin board. The students have been asked if they have the “key to responsibility”. Staff have been recognizing individual students for showing how they have been responsible by completing a responsibility key that includes the student’s name and details that describe how he/she showed responsibility. We encourage parents to take time to discuss our character education traits at home with their child(ren) as we continue to strive to develop our character. Students in grades 1 to 8 will be receiving their progress report on December 11. Your child(ren) continues to be involved in many exciting and rewarding learning experiences. The time that you and your child spend discussing and identifying goals is a valuable investment in helping them to plan for improvement and success at school. As the winter break is just around the corner, I want to also thank our parents for the support that you offer your child(ren) and their teachers each and every day. With the unpredictable weather and playground conditions, please make sure that your child(ren) is dressed for outside play. We do access the field area as often as possible and at times, our play space can be muddy and wet; therefore we encourage students to wear boots and splash pants or snowpants depending on the temperature. Thank you to all parents in advance for helping to ensure that your child(ren) have appropriate clothing as we do go outside at both nutrition breaks every day. The winter holidays are fast approaching and I would like to extend a special thank you to our school council members, nutrition break supervisors, reading tutors and the many volunteers for their involvement and support at JD Hogarth. Your willingness to give freely of your time is greatly appreciated. On behalf of the staff, we wish all our JD families a safe and happy holiday season. Ms. Barrow Principal Lunch Orders: January and February milk and pizza orders are now available for purchase online. Your choice of white or chocolate milk daily (39 days x $0.75 = $29.25), and pepperoni pizza on Thursdays (8 days x $1.50 per slice = $12.00 (1 slice) or $24.00 (2 slices). **NEW** Subs will be offered on Mondays during January and February! Your choice of turkey, ham, cold cuts or veggie. Assorted toppings are available when ordering. Subs are now available for purchase online (8 days x $5.00 per sub = $40.00). All profits from sub orders will support our snack and lunch programs. Orders are available for purchase online until December 13, 2015. If you do not already have an account set up for online payment, please visit our website, www.ugdsb.on.ca/jdh and click on the “School Cash Online” link. Please note: There will be no refunds or make-up days if your child is absent (snow day, illness, etc.). Scholastic Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair is back once again in the library with a MONSTER of a sale. On December 9th and 10th from 9-3:30 everyone is invited to this spook-tacular fundraising event. So come on in and check out the best books of the season. Not only will you find a frightfully good read, but at the same time you will be supporting your child’s library as all profits go directly towards the purchase of new books. Hope to see you there! One Movement Presentation: At JD Hogarth during bullying prevention week the students were engaged and wowed by the One Movement Production. Both our blue and green colour teams had an opportunity to listen, watch and interact with the performers about how we can make our school more safe and inclusive for everyone. Teachers were also provided with some in class activities to support our focus on building a climate that is safe and respectful. Congratulations to all our students for their participation and commitment to consistently demonstrating the highest level of respect at JD Hogarth P.S. Remembrance Day at JD Hogarth P.S.: Thank you to the many parents and grandparents who attended our primary/junior Remembrance Day ceremony. The students along with their teachers organized an amazing, heartfelt Remembrance Day ceremony on the morning of November 11th. Many students were involved and the performances moved seamlessly from presentation to presentation. We are very proud of our students and the audience for their respect and thoughtfulness during this ceremony. As well, thank you to all our intermediate students for their participation at the community service. Our students are commended for their respectful involvement at the Cenotaph. Vehicles and Student Safety: With the colder weather and snow on its way, vehicle traffic can increase at JD Hogarth. As a result, student and staff safety is our number one concern, it is important to remind everyone of drop off and pick up procedures at JD Hogarth P.S. The bus loading area is located directly in front of the school and must remain open for buses. All other vehicles are not permitted to park or block the bus lane. There is very limited parking at JD Hogarth; therefore we are encouraging walking to and from school. If you must drive on occasion, please park in any empty space or wait in the back parking lot. In addition, we ask parents to please be respectful of our neighbours at the church, and keep their fire exit clear at all times. Thank you to all parents in advance for making arrangements for safe transportation practices. Hogarth's Annual Food Drive: The Centre Wellington Food Bank has been helping collect food donations for families in our community since 2008. During the holiday season the demand for food bank items increases. Again this year, the Me to We group will be organizing a food drive to help out those families in need. Students can bring in donations and help their class win a divisional reward or increase their own chances of being able to join the Me to We group in a volunteer trip to the Food Bank. Items most needed by the Food Bank are: canned meat/canned tuna, cereal, peanut butter, jam, instant rice/mashed potatoes, beans, canned fruit/vegetables, crackers, juice, pasta and/or sauce, tea, etc. Non-food items such as: toilet paper, feminine hygienic products, laundry detergent, dish soap, toothpaste, etc. are all needed too. The food drive will run from Monday, November 30th to Friday, December 11th. Thank you for your help making this holiday a little brighter for families in our community! Technology: The Upper Grand District School Board now has Chromebooks for student use in all 25 public libraries across the district. The program first launched in April at three pilot sites within the Wellington County library system and has grown to include all 25 public library branches that serve our region. Each branch has been outfitted with five Chromebooks that are available exclusively for Upper Grand students to access and complete their homework and assignments. For more information, visit the board website at www.ugdsb.on.ca . Centre Wellington DHS Grade 8 Parent Information Night: Grade 8 students and their parents are invited to join us at Centre Wellington District High School on Tuesday, January 12th to learn more about the great opportunities we have to offer – from academics and trades to sports, music and art. Learn about programs, pathways, course selection, and the registration process. The night will begin with school tours between 5:30-6:30 p.m. The last tour leaves at 6:05 p.m. These tours will be followed by an information presentation from 6:30-7:00 p.m. and then you can address your questions to staff from 7:00-7:30pm. We look forward to meeting future CW students and their parents and guardians. Visit our website at http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/centre-wellington/ for up to date information. College Heights Secondary School Grade 8 Parent Information Night Wednesday, January 13, 2016 6:30 – 8:00 pm Tour the school, see the classes, and meet the teachers Come and see Education that Works Winter Assemblies at JD Hogarth: Our winter celebrations will be split into two assemblies this year: Primary Thursday, December 17 at 9:15 a.m. Junior/Intermediate Thursday, December 17 at 11:30 a.m. These assemblies will have student and class presentations, and all families are welcome to attend! Please be sure and check the lost and found for those missing items before the winter break. Any unclaimed items will be bagged and sent off to a local charity. Inclement Weather: During inclement weather, please note the following: Your child rides a “Centre Wellington and the Town of Erin” school bus. Our area is also referred to as “Division II” or the “Blue Card”. When you hear the radio announcement reference any of the above, your child’s transportation has been cancelled for the day. Parents can check www.stwdsts.ca for bus cancellations. Information will be posted daily on the website by 6:30 a.m. STUDENTS WHO ARE “WALKERS” TO OUR SCHOOL ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND SCHOOL EVEN WHEN BUSES ARE CANCELLED! IF YOU CHOOSE TO KEEP YOUR CHILD AT HOME ON THESE DAYS, PLEASE CALL IN TO THE SCHOOL TO REPORT THEIR ABSENCE AND INDICATE IT IS DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER! December’s Environmental Theme: Water Pollution Water might seem like an endless resource. It covers more than 75% of our planet, but only 1% of the water on planet Earth is fresh, usable, and drinkable. The rest is either saltwater or frozen. And now the 1% that is drinkable is being threatened by pollution because of humans. We need to conserve the water that exists on planet Earth. Did you know that almost 1 billion people do not have access to clean water? That is really hard for us to understand because Canada's most valuable natural resource by far is freshwater. While we have only 0.5% of the world’s population we have approximately 20% of the world’s fresh water resources. But unfortunately Canada is also one of the highest fresh water users in the world. Of 29 nations studied, only the United States uses more water than Canada on a per capita basis. Canada’s consumption is an alarming 65 per cent above the average! What are some of the ways we can reduce water pollution? At home, purchase environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaning products, or clean with baking soda, lemon or vinegar. Conserve fresh water by collecting rainwater in barrels. Use it to water your lawn and garden or even indoor plants. Don’t pour chemicals or paint or oil down the drain, and especially not into the storm drains on the street, as it goes directly back to our rivers and lakes. Using natural products that are biodegradable, for example, is a great way to go. Most importantly, don’t waste the clean water that we have. Turn off the taps when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers, and know that lawn watering is now no longer cool! Slogan of the month: Conserve our water - it's all we have! Upcoming Dates to Remember: December 7 9 & 10 10 11 11 14 15 17 18 Primary rotation – period 6 Book Fair – 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Intermediate Volleyball Tournament Progress Reports go home Primary rotation – period 6 Primary rotation – period 6 Junior skating Winter Assemblies Primary Carol Sing and Holiday Boogie – periods 1 & 2 Christmas Holidays: Christmas holidays are from December 19th until January 3rd . School resumes on Monday, January 4th, 2016. Merry Christmas! School Council Corner: Great news! The JD Hogarth School Council is working on making it easier for you to be involved. We now have a meeting scheduled for each month of the school year. Mark your calendars for our next meeting on Thursday January 14th at 6:45. We meet in the school's library and all are welcome so grab a friend and come on out. Stay tuned for more info. As always, if you have any questions or comments feel free to email jdhogarth.ps@ugdsb.on.ca . Starting to notice mitts, lunch container lids, and other items are going missing at school? Consider using labels to help your kids keep track of their belongings. We have an ongoing fundraiser with Elora Labels. Simply follow the link, identify JD Hogarth as your fundraiser, and the school will get 20% of your order! It's useful, easy, and labels make a great Christmas gift! http://www.eloralabel.com/jdhogarth Happy Holidays!