PARKINSON CENTENNIAL
MAY 2015 NEWSLETTER
P AOLA A RGENTINO , P RINCIPAL • W ENDY C LARKE , V ICE P RINCIPAL • ATTENDANCE (519) 941-2461 E XT . 100
Principal’s Message
Summer is right around the corner. Teachers are busy working through the latter stages of the grade level curriculum,
ensuring that students are learning as much as they can. The last weeks of school will see students participating in:
 A variety of field trips
 Sports and extra-curricular activities
 Track and Field day
 Kindergarten and grade 8 graduation
The Parkinson team has already started planning for the 2015 - 2016 school year. School enrolment projections have
been forecasted for all schools. These projections result in teachers with lower seniority being moved to schools that
have sufficient enrolments. Teachers can also request a school transfer. Most schools in our Board will experience some
kind of change. Parkinson will be no different; there is no way to determine the extent of changes until September
enrolments are verified. Often school reorganizations happen in mid-September. It is a complex process, but one that
ensures student – to teacher ratios are maintained according to Ministry requirements. In the June newsletter I will be
publishing the tentative school organization for September 2015.
I appreciate the conscientious effort being made by parents and who are parking on the street, or walking with their
children so that only buses use the driving loop and safety is maintained. Keep in mind as you approach Parkinson that
you are entering a school zone and need to be extra cautious, ever on the lookout for children and families.
With the warmer weather please ensure that your child is wearing sun screen and that he/ she is dressed appropriately.
Please review the dress code expectations.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Celebrate your child’s strengths! Also model for them that we need to work
hard and stick with something if we want to improve!
Success = Effort + Perseverance (Getting Gritty)
Dress Code Expectations
Students are reminded of dress code expectations that include:
 Wearing shoes/or sandals at all times
 No visible undergarments
 Modest clothing that fits appropriately
 No spaghetti straps, halter tops, muscle shirts, revealing necklines or midriffs
 Avoid very short skirts or shorts
Students may be asked to change into alternate clothing or to cover up using a Parkinson t-shirt.
P. Argentino, Principal
To find out about the most current events at Parkinson Centennial:
PCPS __1
Parkinson_Centennial
Please Note: the school only posts items on Twitter and Instagram and does not
follow any other users.
Join the 2015 Pause to Play challenge May 10th – 16th 2015.
The Pause to Play challenge encourages students and their families to put their television, video games
and computers on pause for one full week. Participants are more likely to feel good about themselves.
Exercise that gets your heart pumping has many benefits to your health!
Being
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active for at least 60 minutes daily can help children:
Improve their health
Do better in school
Improve their fitness, grow stronger and maintain a healthy body weight
Have fun playing with friends and feel happier
Learn new skills and improve their self-confidence
Take the challenge for a week or more and learn how much fun it can be to pause to PLAY!
Go to www.wdgpublichealth.ca for more information and for a list of free or low cost activities your local
library and recreation centres are offering.
Library News
Battle of the Books Team
The team was made up of seven grade 4-6 students; they practiced hard for months. They read all
of the required books then participated in the competition on Fri. May 8. The team consisted of
Isaac P., Kristian L., Dakota T., Neveah H-L., Tomas N., Madison L., and Griffin W. They won the
championship medal for the battle. Their photo will be displayed on the office wall. Congratulations
to the team. They had a lot of fun and showed great sportsmanship!
Forest of Reading Clubs
The reading clubs have come to a close. The students have voted for their favourite
books. Approximately 170 students participated in all of the programs. Here is what the Parkinson
students chose:
Blue Spruce
(K-2) -The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten
Silver Birch Express
(grade 3 & 4) -tie between The Fly and Kung Pow Chicken
Red Maple
(grade 7 & 8) - fiction-tie between The Boundless & Unspeakable
Non-fiction
The Last Train
We will hear by mid-May what the rest of Ontario voted. See next month’s newsletter for results.
Book Fair
There will be one last Scholastic book fair coming in early to mid-June with lots of good summer
reads. Details to follow.
Bake Sale and Toy Sale to Raise
Funds for LOGAN’S HOPE!
On Friday, May 22nd Parkinson Centennial
Public School will be showing their support
for one of our own, Logan McNab. Logan is
a grade four student in Mr. Kirk’s class who
needs a special surgical procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy to
help him walk more effectively. Mr. Kirk’s grade 3/4 class will be running a
school wide bake sale and toy sale to raise funds for the Logan’s Hope fund.
Everyone is welcome to bake items for the sale or donate new or gently used toys, games, or kids
sports equipment. All baked goods MUST BE PEANUT FREE and can be dropped off in the morning of
Friday, May 22nd. Any gently used toys, games, or sporting equipment can be donated starting
Friday May 1st to Mr. Kirk’s classroom (Room15) up to the day of the sale. The sale will be open from
11:15 - 3:30 pm in the Parkinson gymnasium. Each class will be given a time to visit the sale and it will
be open at both recesses and after school. Items will range from .25 cents - $3.00.
Show your support and help out one of our own! For more information about Logan and how you
can donate directly, please visit http://www.gofundme.com/Logans-Hope.
News from Mr. Boston’s and Mr. Kirk’s class
As part of the language and science units this term, our class has been practising procedural writing.
One of the activities that the class completed involved the creation of an ice cream sundae. Each
student created a sundae with toppings that were unique to his/her creation. They wrote out the
step-by-step instructions and placed them in a bag. When the whole class had done this, each
student drew a recipe and made a sundae for themselves based on what they had drawn.
I would like to thank the staff at Dairy Queen for helping to make this activity
a realistic and fun activity. By providing us with the sundae cups, spoons and
having enough soft serve on hand for a class of hungry students, they
ensured that this assignment was one that the class will not soon forget.
Lost and Found
Items in the “lost and found” are currently on display in the hallway by the side entrance to the
gymnasium. These items will remain on display until Friday, May 15 at which time they will be bagged
up and donated to a local charity. Please remind your child to look for anything they may have lost.
Dates to Remember:
May 25 - school standards (track & field) day
June 4 – Junior Division Blue Jays Trip
May Environmental & Character Education Theme
Live local – be HELPFUL in your neighbourhood
Think local and save the environment. It is time to celebrate our local talent and to appreciate the
wealth of natural goodness grown locally. Every decision we make to purchase local products,
reduces carbon emissions. Our province produces an abundance of fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts,
and grains. However, the richness of local products doesn't end with food products. We have many
local talented artists, sculptors, and fashion designers. Every time we choose local products we are
making a choice to support our local economy and individual micro-economies.
If you live your life locally, you protect globally! - Let’s go green, everyone!
2015 Educational Assistants Gala
Parkinson Centennial students were celebrated at the 2015 Educational Assistants Gala – Boldy Go
Where No Student has Gone Before, on April 30 at the Fergus Sportsplex. Six of our students were recognized
for all of their hard work and unique talents. Congratulations go to Cody (grade 2), Aiden (grade 2), Jack
(grade 3), Austin (grade 4), Logan (grade 4), and Caiden (grade 6). All of our students have earned their
award in various strengths such as citizenship, most improved, art, environmental steward, technology,
photography, and written word. Our exceptional students and their talents were celebrated with awards,
entertainment, hors d’oeuvres, and of course, our incredible students’ creative work. Also receiving
honourable mention were Allen (grade 1), Sierrah (grade 2), Mackenzie (grade 2), Grayson (grade 2), Nicholas
(grade 2), and Dustin (grade 4).
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
If you are able, please consider volunteering with our
Breakfast and Lunch Student Nutrition Programs.
Each program runs every day of the week and
volunteers are needed in variety of ways.
If you are interested please contact our CYC, Shannon Kennedy.
Many hands make light work.