Paisley Road Public School Newsletter
FEBRUARY
2014
Andre w C reighto n, Pri nci pal
Jane Bi bby , Vic e P ri nci pal
Dear Parents/Guardians,
At this time of year, teachers are busy gathering final
assessments of student work in preparation for report cards.
Reports will be coming home on February 5th. Please feel free
to contact your child’s classroom teacher, at any time, to
discuss your child’s progress and/or to book an interview. We
appreciate all that you do to support our educational efforts
and our door is always open to your questions and thoughts.
Contents
Principals Message
pg. 1
Newsletter Change
pg. 1
Live Free
pg. 2
Kindergarten Registration
pg. 2
Bus Days
pg. 2
Lockdown Drill
pg. 2
Library News
pg. 3
Math Difference
pg. 4
Calendar
pg. 5
Webinar
Insert
Upcoming Events
Kindergarten Registration
February 3-7th 9:30 a.m. 3:30
p.m.
Report Cards Go Home
February 5th, 2014
Family Day – No School
February 17th, 2014
Live Free Day
February 28th, 2014
Our Forest of Reading program has continued to be a big hit
with all of our students. Thank you to Mrs. Richer for
organizing this worthwhile program! We will also continue
with our Tribes days in February. Our students have been
participating in intramural volleyball and our school volleyball
teams are currently being selected. We are also fortunate to
be working with 3 new McMaster University nursing students.
The students will be in our school until April and will focus on
improving our awareness and practice of healthy eating and
hand washing.
On behalf of the staff of Paisley Road, we wish you a
wonderful February...bring on Spring!!!
***A Change in Newsletter Distribution***
Did you know that each time we make paper copies of our school
newsletter we use over 2000 sheets of paper!? That paper costs money,
which means we don’t have that money to spend on math manipulatives or
technology or sports equipment or any number of other items to enrich
our students’ learning. As well, we are concerned about the
environmental impact of using 20,000 sheets of paper each year for
newsletters.
Starting next month, we will be sharing the same informative newsletter
that you have come to rely upon in a paper-free way. For some time
now, the monthly newsletter has been posted on our school website.
Beginning in March, this will be the main way that families will access the
newsletter. Simply go to our school website at www.ugdsb.on.ca/paisley
and you will see the link posted at the top of the page on the first
school day of each month. A reminder will go into student agendas in
case you forget. For families who need a paper copy of the newsletter,
there will be some available in the office for students or families to pick
up.
Please contact the school office if you have any questions or comments.
Page 2 of 5
School Newsletter
LIVE FREE – FEBRUARY 28TH, 2014
Could you give up something for one day, and donate the value of that item to your local student nutrition programs? Live
without your coffee? Live without dining out for a week? Live without chocolate? Whatever you choose, you will be
helping kids Live Free from hunger.
Food and Friends supports over 90 snack, breakfast and lunch programs in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph. For some
students, the food we serve is their only meal for the day.
Paisley students will be participating in the Live Free Program at our school on February 28th, 2014. Students are asked
to bring a loonie to school and fill out a pledge form stating what they are willing to Live Free of for one day. All money
collected goes directly to our school Nutrition Program. All support is greatly appreciated.
ATTENDANCE ON NO BUS DAYS
When buses do not make their run in the morning due to inclement weather, they will not run in the afternoon either.
If you elect to drive your child to school, you must make arrangements to pick them up at the end of the day. Bus
students who remain home on no-bus days are not required to phone the school to report their absence.
However, students who are not eligible to ride a bus, and elect to stay home on a no-bus day need to contact the
school to inform the office regarding your child’s absence. The school does have an attendance line available 24 hours
a day. Please contact the school at 519-822-0675 ext 100. Thank you for your assistance in ensuring the safe arrival
of all our Paisley Panthers.
JUNIOR AND SENIOR KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
If you have a child who will be 4 years of age on or before December 2014 - he/she can be registered for Junior
Kindergarten.
Registration will be held at the school the week of February 3rd -7th between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Please bring the following documentation:
Birth Certificate or Passport
Immunization Record
Proof of Address
Custody Paperwork if applicable
LOCKDOWN DRILL
In the interest of student safety, the Upper Grand District School Board has directed all schools to conduct two
lockdown drills each school year. A lockdown is used when it is suspected that an intruder has entered the school and
poses a threat to the safety of our students and staff. Detailed procedures have been developed in conjunction with
our local police services and provided to all schools as part of our emergency procedures manual.
In a lockdown, students and staff are directed to secure areas where doors can be locked and the children are kept
out of sight (such as classrooms and portables). No one may leave their secure area until they receive an “all clear”.
**We will be having our lockdown on February 6th, 2014.**
JK/SK Parents - Learn about your child’s eating and activity habits
In February your JK/SK child will bring home a nutrition survey from Public Health called NutriSTEP®. Please take several
minutes to fill out the survey and mail it back to Public Health in the postage-paid envelope provided.
You could win 1 of 6 gift cards valued at $50 for returning the survey.
By filling out the survey, parents can learn about their child’s eating and activity habits. Many parents realize their child’s
habits are normal while other parents learn a few things their child could improve on. You can speak to a Public Health nurse
about your child’s growth and development.
Call KIDS LINE 1 - 800- 265- 7293 ext 361 6.
School Newsletter
Page 3 of 5
Forest of Reading 2014
It’s that time again! Our very popular Forest of Reading Clubs are back this year with a new selection of great books. We are
starting up our Forest of Reading Program this month.
The Forest of Reading® is Canada's largest recreational reading program! This initiative of the Ontario Library Association
(OLA) offers seven reading programs to encourage a love of reading in people of all ages. The Forest helps celebrate Canadian
books, publishers, authors and illustrators. More than 250,000 readers participate annually from their school and/or public
library. Each club offers 10 books by Canadian authors.
Our school will be participating in the following clubs:
Blue Spruce- A club for Primary classes led by their teachers in collaboration with Mrs. Richer (Teacher-Librarian). Teachers
read the books to students in the class and complete a passport. They vote for their favourite book and celebrate the winner at
a Blue Party in May.
Le Prix Peuplier - This is the second year the OLA has now begun a Primary French Club. Now our French Immersion Primary
students will be able to join in the fun ‘en francais’! Students will listen to stories in class, complete a passport and participate in
a special party in May.
Silver Birch Express –A mix of fiction and non-fiction at approximately the Grade 4 reading level (Grade 3 students and up can
join)
Siver Birch Fiction – Novels for Junior Readers
Silver Birch Non-Fiction – Various non-fiction texts for Junior Readers
Le Prix Tamarack Express- Easier level Junior French Fiction and Non-fiction
Students read a minimum of 5 books from any of the Junior clubs to be eligible to vote for the winning author in April. These
students are also eligible to participate in our celebration in May. The clubs will be run through Library Open Book Exchange
times this year.
Thank-you to Parent Council for their ongoing support of the program. Thank-you to the many teachers that work to support
this program in their classrooms. Thank-you to our wonderful student readers who have showed such great enthusiasm over the
years!
January Library Contest
Our January Family Literacy Library contest was a great success. We had lots of students participate reading with family
members at home. Thank you to Simply Wonderful Toy Store for donating games for our Family Prize.
February Library Contest
This month we will have a Donate a book contest (one ballot for each donation). To support our Student Social Action Group we
will have a contest where students can pick up a ballot for each book they donate. Books will be gathered by teachers in class
boxes where they can pick up a ballot for the contest. The ballot box will be in the Library. The Contest begins FEBRUARY
10th. The draw will be held on Friday February 28th. 5 students will win various prizes during this contest.
One World School House Book Drive
Our Social Action Team, led by a few our Library pages, Simone C., Katelyn T. and Rowan S., are organizing a Book Drive to
gather good books to be donated to St. Lucia, Grenada and Haiti. They have formed various teams of Social Action Members
that will work on different aspects of the project. Not all Social Action Members are on one of the leadership teams due to
the large size of our club, but all will be invited to gather books from family and friends and help as we bring the boxes to the
delivery truck at the end of the Book Drive.
We are working with the volunteer organization called One World Schoolhouse. They collect high-quality textbooks and other
books from elementary and secondary schools in Ontario and redistribute them to schools in the Caribbean. These books are
used to build school libraries in schools with very limited resources and support a program called the RAINFOREST OF
READING similar to our Forest of Reading to promote literacy in these schools in the Caribbean. To learn more about this
charity, visit http://www.oneworldschoolhouse.org. The book drive will begin February 10th.
Is This A Good Book To Donate?
Ask yourself “Would this book be something I would want my child to read?” If the answer is “Yes” it is likely a good donation.
If the Answer is “No” please do not send the item into the school. We will be accepting English and French Fiction and Nonfiction books, reference books (dated 2004 or later), textbooks and workbooks that have not been written in. Please do not
send in items that are very old, damaged, stained, torn or taped. We also will not be accepting magazines. Thank you in advance
for donations. Together we can make a difference!
School Newsletter
Page 4 of 5
Making the Difference in Math
Heather Galoska – Elementary Curriculum Leader
With the dip in Provincial and Local EQAO results in Primary and Junior mathematics this year, Upper Grand is
looking to do everything we can to reverse this trend. Although test scores are an important benchmark for
public education, supporting students in being confident, efficient, fluent, and accurate mathematicians is our
ultimate goal. So how can we get there? How can we best support student learning in mathematics?
As a Board, we’ve identified four main areas that we are focusing on this year that we believe will make the
most significant impact on student learning – Diagnostic Assessment, Consolidation of Lessons, Student
Independent Practice, and the Classroom Environment.
Diagnostic Assessment
If you want to reach a goal, you have to have a plan. And if you want to make an effective plan, you have to
figure out from where you are starting. Diagnostic assessment (or assessment for learning) is exactly that –
figuring out where students are starting from in their learning. Teachers use diagnostic assessment data to
plan the course of learning for their students – taking time on concepts where there is an identified need, and
spending less time on areas of strength in regards to the curriculum. It informs teachers on what small groups
they may need to bring together for some targeted instruction so that everyone’s learning needs are met to
achieve the Ontario Curriculum expectations.
Diagnostic assessments can take many forms – such as traditional tests or quizzes, student-teacher
conferences, a page from a textbook, a math game, a math journal – or a combination of any of the above.
None of it is used to generate report card grades; it is simply to inform the teacher of each student’s
strengths and needs so that they can make an informed plan.
Consolidation
In a three-part math lesson, consolidation is the pivotal moment when the teacher brings together the learning
for his or her students. Quite often student work will be shared, and this is the time for the teacher to
explain and model concepts. All conversation and teaching are focused on the learning goal of the day as,
through student work and teacher examples, the teacher brings students to the point of understanding and
confidence with a particular mathematical concept.
Independent Practice
“Learning floats on a sea of talk” is a cornerstone philosophy of current educational practice – and is one of the
reasons the three-part math lesson sets aside time for students to work with partners and participate in
classroom discussions about the math they are learning. However, we know that, although collaborative
learning serves a very high purpose, there comes a time when students must be able to demonstrate their
mathematical understanding on their own.
The end of every math lesson finishes with significant time for students to practice what they’ve learned in
the lesson by themselves. The teacher is there for support if needed, but independent practice is part of the
consolidation of the learning – it is the time for students to practice the skills and habits of mind they are
developing, ask questions, and feel comfortable with the new material.
Classroom Environment
Every classroom is unique space, reflective of the classroom community that works in there each day. It is
important that every student feel safe, welcome, accepted, and respected within those four walls every day.
Without it, learning can’t happen. Building classroom communities, full of diverse people and personalities, is
no small challenge, and we are constantly striving to create and maintain this dynamic classroom space where
every student feels happy and challenged.
Hand in hand with classroom community is the classroom space itself. Is the classroom a welcoming space?
Are the things posted on the walls helpful for students? Is it easy for different types of learning to happen
in the space? Is the classroom space inspiring? Does the classroom reflect the community within it? These
are the kinds of questions teachers ask themselves when designing classroom space. We want our classroom
spaces to send a message to everyone who walks through the doors – Hey! Great learning happens here!
2014
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
Report cards
Groundhog
Day
Grade 6 VIP
6
Police Safety
presentation
Lockdown Drill
7
Popcorn sales
8
Jr. Volleyball
Tournament
Kindergarten registration February 3 to 7 from 9:30am-3:30pm
9
10
Scientists in
School Ms Hall
and Ms Bardens
11
River Run 9:00am
grade 4, 5 and 6
12
13
Grade 6 indoor
soccer tournament
14
VALENTINE’S
DAY-red & pink
SPIRIT DAY
15
Scientists in School
Ms Mathews
Popcorn sales
16
17
18
19
20
School Council Mtg
6:30-8:00
21
Tribes
Popcorn sales
NO SCHOOL
23
24
Scientists in
School Mr McPhie
25
26
27
28
Celebration
Assembly
Live Free Day
Popcorn sales
22