Paisley Road Public School Newsletter
MARCH
2015
Andrew Creighton, Principal
Marina Harrison, Vice Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I would like to thank you and our school staff for the extra
patience and co-operation as we went through those numerous
days of extreme cold. I was very proud of our students as they
managed to contain their energy while being kept inside for many
days in a row!
Upcoming Events
Crazy Hair Day and Live
Free Day
March 6, 2015
MacMillan’s delivery and
Tech Night
March 12, 2015
March Break
March 16-20, 2015
Dental Screening
March 23 and 26, 2015
Panther Pride assembly
March 27, 2015
Math Night
March 31, 2015
On a more serious note, I would like to mention a couple of items
that are of a safety concern. As you know, we work diligently to
ensure the safety of our students. One way you could continue to
support us with this is by waiting outside of the building if you
arrive early to drop off or pick your child up. This allows us to
keep our hallways clear in case of an emergency and makes it
easier for us to monitor who is in our building. Thank you for your
co-operation with this and thank you for signing in at the office
and waiting there while we call your child down for pick up.
A second safety item relates to the amount of traffic in our
school driveway at the start of the day. For the safety of our
students and families, we would ask that you park on Paisley road
to bring your child in to the school. The driveway in front of the
school is a fire route and needs to be kept clear in case of
emergency. We very much appreciate your support with this.
Our students have participated in a number of clubs and teams
over the last month. Congratulations to the boys’ and girls’
basketball teams for their participation in the basketball
tournament held at Willow Road P.S.! M Dunbar and Mrs. Nielsen
were very proud of our teams’ performance and sportsmanship!
Our Chess Club is currently preparing to participate in an
upcoming tournament. A special thank you to our Paisley
Ambassadors and our Social Action Club for all of their hard work
and commitment to making our school a friendly and socially
responsible place to be!
Bring on Spring!
Mr. Creighton
Page 2 Newsletter
of 5
School
School Newsletter
Page 2
Paisley Cares!
The Social Action Team comprised of 16 Grade 1 and 2’s made a difference in our local community. They gathered over 475 pounds of
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables for the Guelph Food Bank. They may have started something new: the idea of donating fresh food in addition
to non-perishable items! The food bank was very appreciative and hopes this can set an example for other organizations! Way to go
Paisley Panthers! Thanks to all who supported this initiative!
Social Action is now working to support the Live Free Campaign as we raise money to support our Healthy snack and lunch programme at
Paisley on March 6th.
From the Library
The library has been a very busy place this February! Our Kindergarten and Primary classes have begun reading Blue Spruce and Le Prix
Peuplie. They are preparing their passports to vote for their favourite book at the end of April and join in on a celebration in May.
Students in our Junior Forest of Reading clubs (Le Prix Tamarack, Silver Birch Fiction, Non-Fiction or Express) are off to the races
reading books in the various clubs.
Students can come down and pick up a Forest of Reading Crossword or Word Scramble at our Library to add to the fun!
The Forest of Reading also has many contests for students this year:
TOP 10 CHALLENGE- Students who read all 10 books from one of the clubs can be entered into a draw to win 2 tickets and travel
expenses to come to the Festival of Trees in Toronto. Deadline: Talk to Ms. Richer by March 24th to be entered in this draw.
READERS BOOK REVIEW CHALLENGE -Readers, be creative and write your own book reviews of your favourite current Forest of
Reading® nominee. The entries can be written or video-taped. The Prize is a signed copy of the book by the author of the winning
submission. Prize: Autographed copy of the winning book personalized to you!
Deadline: Send your review to Ms. Richer by March 24th
FOREST® VIDEO CHALLENGE- How does your school/library run your Forest® program? Why is YOUR program the best? Create a video
with your friends (3 minutes or less) and post on YouTube. Send OLA the link by April 1st and we will give 20 free tickets to the Festival
of Trees™ to the best submission (value - $300 including shipping).
Prize: 20 free tickets to the 2015 Festival of Trees™
https://www.accessola.org/web/Documents/OLA/Forest/Contests/2014/Forest-readers-contests2015.pdf
Thanks to the Parent Council for their long term support of the Forest of Reading Programme!
Book Fairs
We will be hosting a Graphic Novel Presenter from the Dragon Book Store on April 17th and she will also set up a Graphic Novel Book fair
in the afternoon in the front Foyer. Graphic Novels are extremely popular with students and are a wonderful way for students to enjoy
reading.
Thanks again to Parent Council for supporting purchasing some new Graphic Novels for our Library!
Tech Night - Thursday March 12th 6:30-7:30pm
This will be a Hands On Fair style evening held in the Library for families interested in learning more about how we are using Technology in
our School and School Board. Come out and learn about UG2GO ,our Online Library, Student Cloud Accounts, Read and Write app for
accessibility, Green Screen and Animation, Computer Coding with Kids, Hands on Maker Spaces.... This evening will be run by Parent Council
and Ms. Richer. Students will be most welcome with parents to explore and demonstrate these technologies.
Math Games – Tuesday March 31st 6:30-7:30pm
This will be a Hands On Information evening held in the Library for families interested in learning more about how math is taught in the
primary curriculum.
Please join us to learn some tips, tricks and games that will enable parents to better help their children at home.
This evening is being presented by Mlle Clarke and the School Council thanks to the PRO Grant. Students are most welcome to attend and
experience alongside parents.
School Newsletter
Page 3
Junior Basketball Tournament
The Paisley Panthers did a great job at the basketball tournament which was held on Feb 17th at Willow Road Public School. Great team work and
respect were shown by all of the athletes. A special thank-you goes out to all the parents who came out to help the team.
Thanks for a great season-Mr.Dunbar and Mrs. Nielsen.
Help Your Child to be More Resilient
Life can be stressful for both children and their parents. When children learn how to handle challenging situations in positive ways and to
bounce back after a negative experience they become more resilient. Resilient people are happier, healthier and more successful in life.
Children learn resiliency skills from the adults in their lives. Here are some ideas to help you to build resilience in your child:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Build a caring and trusting relationship: listen to your child and talk about their day, share cuddles or hugs, play or do activities together.
Think positive: each evening ask your child to share a positive thing that happened during their day. You could share something positive that happened in
your day too!
Gently challenge your child’s negative thinking: If your child has had a stressful experience, acknowledge their feelings and help your child see that
experience as only one of many things that happened that day: “It sounds as if Max really hurt your feelings by not inviting you to play hockey. Did you play
with him at another time? Did you play with some of your other friends?”
Build confidence: allow your child to do things independently as often as possible; such as getting dressed , helping to make dinner, wrapping a birthday
gift, helping with a chore. Only give guidance if absolutely necessary.
Allow your child to feel that he or she has control over his or her life: allow your child to make age-appropriate decisions, such as what to wear, a choice
of what to have in their lunch (“would you like a banana or yogurt?”), what book to read before bedtime, what movie to watch on the weekend.
Model and practice calming: When you are dealing with a difficult situation show your child how you calm yourself down. Practice calming with your child
(deep breathing, counting to 10, going to a quiet place).
Model coping: when you have a problem, talk to your child about how you solved the problem calmly. What did you think about as you were solving your
problem?
Build your child’s coping strategies: Help your child think through a challenge. Help your child to know that the issue is just temporary and that he or she
can solve the problem. Support your child in coming up with a solution.
In supporting your child in building resiliency skills you are developing a positive outlook that will last a lifetime. For more information on resiliency
please go to the website below.
Source: Reaching In, Reaching out Website: http://www.reachinginreachingout.com/resources-parents.htm
School Newsletter
Page 4
Live Free is happening at Paisley Road on Friday, March 6th!!!
Food and Friends currently helps 15,000 students each year through over 99 breakfast, lunch or snack programs
throughout Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph, including one at Paisley Road P.S.. We are hoping for your support this year
through our Live Free campaign.
When is Live Free?
On March 6, 2015, we are asking for participation in our Toonie Challenge. Students are asked to give something up for
only one day to help kids “Live Free” from hunger and donate $2 to the Live Free Campaign.
What do you need to do?
Tape a Toonie onto the Live Free Postcard and return it to school by Friday, March 6th.
Help your child fill out a promise card (flower shaped card), stating what they will be living free of on March 6,
2015. Students may pledge to ‘try to get along with their siblings’, ‘listen better in class’ or to ‘give up their favorite
snack’.
Why is Live Free Important to Paisley Road P.S.?
100% of the money raised by Paisley Road P.S. for the Live Free Program will stay in the school to directly support the
student nutrition program.
What would you do to make sure a local child wasn't hungry in school?
Many children and youth involved in the Food and Friends programs arrive at school without the proper nutrition to allow
them to focus in class. Children arriving at school hungry are at a clear disadvantage, unable to concentrate or excel
physically, academically or emotionally.
We have hungry children and youth in our very own community.
Every Live Free promise can make a difference:
•
1 in 10 children arrive at school without breakfast, snack or lunch to sustain them throughout a full school day.
•
36% of Guelph food bank recipients in 2013 were children.
•
31% of grade 4 students do not eat breakfast, by high school this number increases to 62%.
•
For some children and youth, the food they receive at these programs is their only meal for the day.
Please help us reach our goal of raising $500 to help support our school’s nutrition program. It doesn't have to be huge
to make an impact. Donate today! Visit http://www.livefreewdg.ca and select the DONATE tab and click on Paisley
Road P.S. to make your donation. A charitable tax receipt will be issued for any donation of $20 or more.
We appreciate your support.
What’s for Lunch?
Adequate nutrition is essential for the optimal growth and development of both children and youth, and for avoiding nutrient deficiencies. Well-documented research
shows that there is a clear link between good nutrition and school performance (Papamandjaris, 2000; National Association of State Boards of Education, 2000).
Negative consequences on students’ ability to learn can occur if students do not eat well:
• Under-nourishment has impacts on children’s behaviour, school performance and their ability to concentrate and perform complex tasks.
• Children’s brain function is diminished by short-term or periodic hunger or malnutrition caused by missing or skipping meals (Tufts University Center on Hunger,
Poverty & Nutrition Policy, 1994).
Schools and Parents have a role to play. They can support positive change already underway and encourage healthy changes. Together, parents and schools can
create a healthy school environment where making a healthy choice is the easy choice. Your child’s school lunches and snacks are a major source of the essential
vitamins and minerals they need to grow and develop over the years.
The foods you pack for your child will give them the energy and nutrients they need to learn and play at school. Without enough energy from food, they may feel tired
and find it difficult to concentrate in class. Just like adults, if tasty healthy foods are not available when your child is hungry, the chances that he or she will reach for
unhealthy junk food is greater.
What’s a good approach to building a healthy lunch? (see chart and menu ideas)
Step one: Think food groups. Aim to have at least three of the four food groups represented in your child’s lunch. Check out Canada’s Food Guide to review the
food groups.
Step two: Think outside the sandwich! Get creative when choosing items for your child’s lunch. Sometimes changing something as simple as the type of grain. For
example, using pita, flatbread, tortilla, or cereal instead of bread can make lunch more interesting for your little eater. You may even want to write up a simple chart to
brainstorm different options. Here are some ideas to get you started. Mix and match the options in the different columns to get a variety of lunch meals.
Pepper strips (red, green,
yellow)
Peas in a pod or snow
pea pods
Baby corn
Grain Products
Tortillas, flatbread, nan or
pita bread
Milk and Alternatives
Meat and Alternatives
Fruit yogurt or soy yogurt
Hard cooked egg
Cold or hot cereal*
Yogurt dip (tzatziki) for veggies
English muffins
Milk or fortified soy beverage*
Cheese cubes, cheese string or
cheese slices
Milk-based pudding
Cottage or ricotta cheese cups
Milk-based soup*
Cheese-filled pasta (cannelloni,
ravioli)*
Hot chocolate*
Cherry tomatoes
Oatmeal muffins
Melon balls
Fruit smoothie*
Turnip or zucchini sticks
Cauliflower and broccoli
trees
Sliced mango
Rice cakes
Whole grain crackers
Chapatti, roti
Pasta, brown rice,
couscous, quinoa
Bread sticks
Tuna, salmon or chicken salad flavoured with: curry, onions, light
mayo, pickles, apples or dill
Ham slices
Hummus (tahini and ground chickpea dip)
Refried or baked beans
Hard cooked egg
Tuna or salmon sandwich
Steamed soybeans (edamame)
Marinated cooked tofu
* Foods that need to be kept cold or hot can be packed into a thermos to keep the food at a safe temperature. Cold foods can also be stored with an ice pack or
frozen juice box.
Sample lunch #1: Pepper strips with hummus dip, and cheese-filled pasta with tomato sauce.
Sample lunch #2: Marinated cooked tofu in a whole wheat tortilla wrap with shredded lettuce and grated carrot. Add a fruit yogurt on the side.
Sample lunch #3: W hy not breakfast for lunch? Hot cereal in a thermos topped with frozen berries and sliced almonds with a cold milk or soy beverage.
What should I do for snacks?
As you plan snacks, think of them as a “mini meal” that includes two of the four food groups. Try these simple nutritious snack ideas:
•
Whole grain crackers with a cheese stick.
•
Fresh cut fruit with a yogurt dip
•
Nut-free trail mix. Combine dried cranberries, raisins, dried apricots, and apple rings with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, along with your kid’s favourite cold
cereal.
•
Yogurt tube and small oatmeal muffin
My children want the same thing to eat everyday. How can I introduce some new lunch ideas?
Your child’s taste may change from one day to the next. Try new foods regularly and don’t be afraid to try them more than once. You may have to offer new foods
many times before your children learn to like them!
Children experience food using taste, touch and sight. Keep them interested with lunches that include a variety of shapes, colours and textures.
•
Cut sandwiches into triangles or diamonds. Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes.
•
Change the bread – try different kinds of grains (rye, pumpernickel, flax) as well as the type of bread like whole grain tortillas, bagels and pitas.
•
Offer various types of cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, Jack, Swiss) in different forms (cubes, strings, slices and balls). To create a cheese ball, shred and then
shape into balls.
•
Switch up the veggies and fruit. Give your kids something different to experience with each bite. Group foods according to: Type (citrus, tropical.); color (green,
red, orange, yellow, purple); shape (balls, strips, chunks, whole); or texture (soft, juicy, crunchy)
•
Kids love to dip. Use cottage cheese, hummus, yogurt, or guacamole as healthy dips.
•
Try some of the kid approved recipes from our Kids Recipe Challenge winners.
How do I involve my child in deciding what to have for lunch and snacks?
From planning to packing, get everyone in the family involved when making lunches and snacks.
•
Give them healthy options to pick from - they will be more likely to eat a lunch that they choose.
•
Older children can help make sandwiches or stuff pitas, while younger children can place snacks into containers.
•
Take your children grocery shopping and let them choose some of their favourite foods like breads, vegetables, fruit and yogurts. Use these shopping tips to help
you guide your children in making healthy choices.
Where can I find more ideas for healthy lunches?
For more information and ideas on planning healthy lunches, visit:
Eat Right Ontario’s Family Friendly One-Week Sample Menu Plan.
Print out a copy of Eat Right Ontario’s or Health Canada’s meal planning checklist.
For more information about food allergies and the classroom, visit Allergy Safe Communities.
Resources for the Ministry of Education School Food and Beverage Policy
What parents need to know about the new school food and beverage policy
The School Food and Beverage Policy: A new way to look at food and beverages sold in schools
Healthy lunch ideas for the new school year
Resources to help understand and use the School Food and Beverage Policy
School Newsletter
Page 6
March Environmental & Character Education Theme
Walk and bike more – be SELF-DISCIPLINED
The climate is changing, and the impacts on the planet could be substantial. Due to burning fossil
fuels such as coal, gas and oil we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the
Earth’s atmosphere and the temperatures are rising. When we burn fossil fuels, we create two main
kinds of pollution: greenhouse gases and smog-causing pollutants. Smog has been linked to many
health problems, from respiratory diseases to cancer. We need fewer cars on the road. So what is the
answer? What can you do about it? You can walk or bike to school, or your friend’s house or the store.
It is good for the environment and it is good for you too. There are plenty of great reasons to walk to
school — less traffic, safer streets, cleaner air — but one of the best is that you will be healthier. Lack
of physical activity is a major cause of chronic illness and fatigue. Being fit helps you feel better, and a
morning walk helps you to be more alert and more ready to learn at school. So find a friend and ask
them to walk to school with you too.
If every Canadian left their car at home just one day a week, we would save about 3.8 million tonnes
of greenhouse gas emissions each year – the equivalent of taking about 800,000 cars off the road.
The I CAN WALK pledge (found online at icanwalk.ca) asks you to identify locations in your
community that you could easily and safely walk or bike to, then pledge to use active transportation
instead of driving. You’ll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every kilometer you don’t drive!
Stop pollution, we’ve got the solution – walk to school! Let’s go green, everyone!
School Newsletter
Page 7
Talking About Mental Health – Anger and Calm March 2015
When one of my children was about 8 years old, he had a lot of anger in him. He would shout, slam things, throw things, break things and
stomp about. When he got very angry, it was upsetting for all of us, but particularly for him. He did not like the way he felt when was angry, but
it seemed to come on so fast. He would quickly feel out of control and then feel upset afterward about what had happened. So, when he was
calm, we talked about his anger. We drew pictures and read stories about dealing with anger. And he told me “Mom, when I am angry, don’t
talk to me, just let me go to my room and be angry, when I feel less angry I will talk to you”. So the next time, he was angry and started yelling, I
started to say “What is making you so angry?”, but he stopped me and said “Mom, you promised you wouldn’t talk to me when I am angry and
would let me just go to my room”. It was hard not to try to solve the problem, but I let him just go to his room and yell and throw things. After
about 30 minutes, he came down and we talked about what was up. He knew he did not like being angry and needed to gain some more skills
to be able to deal with his anger. He decided he wanted to do meditation to help with his anger, which he did, and over time, it helped a lot.
We all get angry. Different things set off different people. We all have our pet peeves and our easy triggers. Often our child/youth know how
easy some of our buttons are to push. When our child/youth gets angry, it is hard not to get upset and respond in anger. But we all know that
does not usually result in the best outcome. Here are some tips for dealing with anger in your child/youth and yourself.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Don’t respond to anger with anger. It is hard not to, but yelling at our child/youth when they get angry makes everyone feel out of
control and increases the anger. No one likes the feeling of being out of control. The best thing you can do is remain calm and not
feed the fire of the anger. Have compassion for your child and how they are feeling.
Don’t try to reason with an angry person. When someone is angry, they are not able to process what you are saying. Their brain
space and energy is taken up by the anger and they don’t have much space left to think, process and reason. Instead, wait to have
the conversation until you have both calmed down.
Pay attention to how you are reacting. When dealing with someone who is angry, often our heart rate increases and the adrenaline
begins to pump. The trick is for you to have already practiced how to stay calm, so when you are in these challenging situations, you
know how to calm yourself. By staying calm, you are not engaging in a power struggle, which escalates the anger.
Allow your child/youth time to be angry. Allow them a safe place to let off steam. So long as they are not hurting themselves or
others, let them be angry and safely calm down. It also teaches them that feeling angry is OK and we can learn how to process our
anger in a safe way.
Give consequences for the behaviour, not the emotion. Teach your child/youth that whatever they feel is OK and it is OK to feel
frustrated and angry. However, there are still rules and consequences. Don’t negotiate or change the rules when trying to get an
angry child to calm down. In the moment, the focus is on calming strategies. After the child is calm, then a have a discussion of safe
ways to express anger.
Take a break. For most of us, we need a break from the person and situation, so allow your child to take a break. This helps our kids
to calm down and also allows ourselves to calm down as well.
Make a plan. When everyone is calm, talk with your child/youth about what helps them stay calm and what calms them down when
they are upset. Create a plan of what things the child/youth finds calming and empower them to use those strategies. It could be
music, breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, physical activity, drawing or just being on their own for a bit. Whatever works for
them is included in the plan. Calming strategies that a child/youth will use when angry need to be taught and practiced regularly, so
they can be used when the situation arises. Include strategies to keep calm and decrease frustration and then what to do when they
feels really angry. Having a plan makes you and your child/youth feel like you have some control over the anger. The child/youth
knows that the anger does not control them, because they know what to do when it happens.
Role model appropriate responses to anger. Show your child/youth how you deal with anger. You can say things such as “I am
getting frustrated, so I am going to take a break” or “I can’t talk to you right now, because I am upset. I am going to calm down then
we can talk”. Admitting that you are angry and need to calm down is not a weakness. It takes strength to talk about your feelings.
You are teaching your children the lesson that it is good to talk about your feelings and that we can manage our anger by using our
coping skills.
Here is a link to a great video of kids explaining what it feels like to be angry and how breathing helps:
Just Breathe. by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVA2N6tX2cg
Dr. Lynn Woodford is the Mental Health and Addiction Lead for Upper Grand District School Board
Follow me on twitter: @drlynnwoodford
School Newsletter
Page 8
Your Input Can Change the Future!
This is an exciting time in Ontario as we work together
to develop a new system of services and supports for
children and youth with special needs and their
families.
We would like to hear from
parents, caregivers and service providers
who support children and youth
as we develop a new system in our area that includes:
• coordinated services for children with multiple or complex needs
• making occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and
language therapy services more integrated from birth through the
school years.
How?
Visit our website below for information on:
•
Focus groups March 2 – 10, 2015 - how
to register, locations and times
•
If you can’t attend a focus group, how to
complete our survey between March 6 – 22,
2015
http://dufferinwellingtonspecialneedsstrategy.weebl
y.com/
or call 1-888-372-2259 ext 1588
2015
Sun
1
Monday
2
Tuesday
3
Wednesday
4
Thursday
5
Friday
6
Play on Girls Club
Sat
7
LIVE FREE
DAY
Popcorn sale
8
9
10
11
Play on Girls Club
12
MacMillan’s delivery
13
14
20
1st day of spring
21
27
Frozen yogurt
28
at 6:30
15
16
17
St Patrick’s Day
18
19
MARCH BREAK
22
23
Dental screening
24
River Run
grade 3 & 4
Meeting 6:30
29
30
31
Math Night 6:30
25
26
Dental screening
Panther Pride
assembly