Eramosa Public School
5757 Fifth Line ✧ R.R. 1 ✧ Rockwood, ON N0B 2K0
Telephone 519-856-9529 ✧ Fax 519-856-4239
Website: www.ugdsb.on.ca/eramosa
Newsletter
Katrina Plazek,
February 2016 - Issue 6
Principal
Sheri MacKenzie,
Office Co-Ordinator
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK…
The month of January has evaporated quickly! We have had an action packed January and we are
looking to forward to many fun activities coming up in February. One of the highlights of the month will
be the Silent Auction and Pasta Dinner, run by the School Council on the evening of Thursday, February
11th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Thank you for your ongoing support and generous donations you make that
allow us to raise funds to support our students. Watch for forms coming home soon. Hope to see many
of you there. It is a great community event!!
Katrina Plazek
and the Staff at Eramosa
Ready, Set Go Preschool Program
East Wellington Community Services has successfully delivered a program which paves the way for a
smooth transition into Junior Kindergarten. With the co-operation of Eramosa Public School and Ontario
Early Years funding, East Wellington Community Services’ staff will be providing a junior kindergarten
readiness program in the school.
Ready Set Go is a small group program consisting of 10 children and two staff.
The goal is to reduce anxiety that some children may feel when they start
school. The staff work on building comprehension, listening skills, following
instructions, scissors skills and letter recognition. Registered families will dropoff their child for one hour to participate in activities that directly relate to a new
story each week. Each child will receive a package of activities to take home to
complete with their parents and return the next week.
Thank you East Wellington Community Services for providing an early support for our up and coming
new students!! Our program will run on Wednesday mornings from 9-10 am from April 13th – June 1st.
To find out more information or register your child call Jane or Susanne @ 519-856-2113.
New PD Day
We would like to make all parents and guardians aware of an additional PA Day that has been added to
the school calendar. Following central collective agreements reached in the fall, an additional
Professional Activity Day has been added to this school year. In the Upper Grand District School Board,
this PA Day will be on April 25, 2016. Please mark your calendars. There will be no school for students
on this day.
ECO School Certification
We are pleased to let you know that we are going to certify Eramosa Public School as an EcoSchool.
Ontario EcoSchool is an environmental education and certification program for grades K-12 that helps
school community develop both ecological literacy and environmental practices. Our school is striving to
achieve certification at the bronze level. This is achieved through a combination of student leadership,
conservation, waste minimization, curriculum and environmental stewardship
initiatives. An environmental club is being run by Mrs. Gorr and Mlle
MacLeod. To date they have created lights off stickers for light switches,
created GOOS (good on one side) bins for the classrooms, and are in the
process of organizing the Wear Your Sweater Day on February 4th (the
school heat will be turned down 2 degrees). Stay tuned for more events. We
are doing many, many things already to help our earth and “Go Green” in the school and we want to do
even more!
Bus Cancellations – Notification
Please ensure that you register for email notification of bussing information for your child (school
closures, bus delays, etc.) at https://www.findmyschool.ca/Cancellations.aspx Click on Delays and
Cancellations and click subscribe to enter your email.
Our AIZAN voice messaging system will be used to notify families when the Upper Grand District School
Board transportation consortium makes the decision to cancel buses to Eramosa PS, when possible. If
the phone lines, power lines or internet system is down, the system will not function. This is an additional
notification. Listening to CJOY or checking the UGDSB website are also great ways to find out about
current bussing information.
Kindergarten Registration
Registration for full day Kindergarten will take place from February 1st – 5th. If your
child is 4 years of age by December 31st, 2016 (s)he is eligible to register for JK (Junior
Kindergarten). If your child is 5 years of age by December 31st, 2016 s(he) is eligible to
register for SK (Senior Kindergarten). If you have a neighbour with children entering
Kindergarten for the first time, would you please pass this information along to them.
Please call the Office if you have any questions.
Term 1 Report Cards
Term 1 Report Cards will be sent home with children in Senior Kindergarten and
grades 1 to 6 on Wednesday, February 10th. The report card will tell you how well
your child has reached the expected level of achievement in academic areas as well
as learning skills and work habits. Teachers’ comments will reflect students’
strengths, needs and next steps to improve learning. We encourage you to review
the report card and use this information to set specific, achievable goals for Term 2.
If you have any questions or comments about your child’s report card or ways we can
work together to maximize learning, please let us know and we’ll be happy to meet
with you.
CSA Approved Hockey Helmets for Ice Skating
This is reminder that it will be a mandatory requirement for all people skating (students,
staff and volunteers) to wear a CSA approved Hockey Helmet while skating on the ice. We
have booked our ice pads. This is a new requirement for many of us. It is the parent’s
responsibility to ensure the helmet is certified. We hope to have many parents/guardians
join us during our School wide skate February 12th and March 4th, 2016.
Elmira Poultry (EPSAC Fundraiser)
Thank you for supporting this school council fundraiser! Chicken pick up at the school
will take place February 4th, between 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Please remember that this is a
frozen product and there is limited storage place, so we would appreciate it if someone
could pick up your order during this time.
Spirit Day- Red, White & Pink Day
Students and staff are invited to wear red, white and pink on February 12th to get ready for Valentine’s
Day. Happy Valentine's Day to all!
Pasta Dinner and Silent Auction
There is nothing better than getting together with friends, having a yummy $3
supper, socializing and raising money to support the school, all at the same time! If
you haven’t done so already, please send back your slips. It is entirely due to the
support of the families and community and the hard work of many council members
that have made this event possible. Mark February 11th, 5:30-7:30 pm on your
calendar; it promises to be a wonderful evening!
School Council Meeting
Our February school council meeting will take place on February 9th starting at 7 pm. All parents are
welcome to join us!
Junior Volleyball Tournament at Erin PS
The junior volleyball team has been selected and the team is busy practicing
in preparation for the volleyball tournament being held at Erin Public School
on February 17th. Go Eramosa Eagles!
Recess Reminders
Students at Eramosa are fortunate to have a huge yard to play in at recess
times. They are outdoors every day before school, as well as for three
recesses during the day. We know that fresh air and regular exercise
throughout the day improve learning. These breaks also provide opportunities
for children to develop essential social skills of cooperative play and conflict
resolution. “Indoor recess” occurs when necessary, and only in cases of
extreme weather conditions. Children need to have appropriate outdoor
clothing at school, including snow pants, boots, and extra socks and mitts in
case other pairs get wet during the day. Outdoor clothing should also be
labeled with your child’s name to reduce the chances of items being lost.
OPP Kids Program – Officer Kelly
Officer Kelly is teaching the OPP K.I.D.S. Program to our grade 6s at Eramosa.
The OPP K.I.D.S. Program was developed in conjunction with our front-line police officers and several
professional educators to ensure that the content meets current student needs.
OPP K.I.D.S. will cover topics such as Youth and the Law, Peer to Peer Relationships, Online and Social
Media Awareness, Drug-Alcohol Awareness and Mental Health Awareness. Each topic will be
accompanied by DVD’s to show how these lessons can be related to children and situations they may
face throughout their lives. Thank you Officer Kelly!
Mabel’s Labels
Some Eramosa families have ordered name labels for their childrens’ belongings from a company called
Mabel's Labels. These peel-and-stick labels are suitable for all clothing, shoes, lunch containers and
more. They are very durable, even after going through the dishwasher or washing machine. Our School
Council is registered with Mabel's Labels and the school receives a small portion of the cost of every
order placed. One parent commented that the cost of her label order was less than the replacement
cost of just one piece of clothing that may otherwise have been lost. For more information please go
to www.eramosa.mabel.ca.
Concussion Outside of School Hours
A concussion is a type of brain injury that changes the way the brain normally works. It can affect a
student’s performance in both school work and physical activities. Rest is very important after a
concussion because it helps the brain heal. While a child has a suspected or diagnosed
concussion, full participation in school academic and physical activities can worsen
symptoms and make for a longer recovery period.
In the best interest of your child, parents and guardians are requested to contact the
principal when a suspected or diagnosed concussion occurs outside of school hours (i.e.
during outdoor play, sports, or a car accident). The principal will work with you to develop
a plan for an individualized, gradual return to full participation in school activities. For more information,
visit www.ugdsb.on.ca/concussions.
Canadian Tire Money
Do you have any loose Canadian Tire money lying around that you will not use? We
would gratefully receive it at the office to buy some playground balls, etc. Thank you.
Wellington County Library – Rockwood Branch, February Events
Bedtime Stories (All Ages)
Wear your PJs and snuggle up to our quiet evening story time for families. Please register.
Mondays, February 1, 8, and 22, 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Page Turners Book Club (Grades K- 6)
Read together and come to discuss at this parent-child book club. Please register.
Tuesday, February 9, 6:30 pm - 7:15 pm
Mix it Up! Art Workshop (Grades 1 - 3)
Inspired by bestselling author and artist Hervé Tullet, this beautifully messy workshop will be active,
collaborative, and entertaining, no matter your skill level. Space is limited. Please register.
Saturdays, February 20, March 26, April 16, May 28, and June 18, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Technology Open House (All Ages)
Experience hands-on time with some fun new technology! From 3D printers to robots, come see what
the library has to offer. Drop in.
Saturday, February 27, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Family Story Time: Leap, Frog! (All Ages)
Join us for a special leap day family story time! Please register.
Monday, February 29, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Dangerous Apps
Parents, If Your Kids Have Any of These 10 Dangerous Apps, It’s Time to Hit “Delete”
You may be thinking your kids are downloading apps because they are just a simple way for them to
keep in contact with their friends. This is certainly true for most kids, but unfortunately, even innocent
use of most of these apps can land a kid in a situation he/she never intended to be in. Here are some
apps that are popular among kids and why they are potentially problematic for them:
http://www.foreverymom.com/parents-kids-10-dangerous-apps-time-hit-delete/
Public Health News
Stay Well Month
Reduce the risk of serious infections - proper hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting
sick.
Stay home when you are sick and limit contact with others -Children should not be in school with a
fever, undiagnosed rashes, vomiting, or diarrhea and should stay at home at least 24 hours following the
end of symptoms.
Cover your mouth and nose - when you sneeze or cough; use a
tissue or the bend of your elbow.
You can prevent many serious illnesses by keeping immunizations
up-to-date for you and your children. Call 1-800-265-7293 for more
information.
Upper Grand Learning Foundation
Happy Valentine’s from “Free to Achieve”
Charities like Free the Children, have transformed how students view themselves, their community and
the world. Our students feel empowered to make a difference both locally and globally. In fact our
schools have been raising money for the Upper Grand Learning Foundation (UGLF) “Free to Achieve”
- a fund that benefits students in our community with basic needs, like winter clothing, school trips and
hearing aids. This Valentine’s Day we would like to thank you for your generous donations to “Free to
Achieve”. Want to make a donation or start a “Free to Achieve” campaign? Visit the UGLF website for
more information at www.uppergrandlearningfoundation.com
Eramosa Public School
February 2016
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
–Humane
Society Visit
3
-Gr 6 OPP Kids
4
-Wear Your
Sweater Day
5 -Optometrist
Visit JK/SK
6
February is
African
Heritage
Month
-Pita day
-Groundhog Day
-Elmira Poultry
Pickup 3-5pm
-Pizza day
Junior Kindergarten Registration Week
7
8
-Lunar New
Year
*Buddhism
9-EPSAC Mtg.
7pm Library
-Hotdog Day
-Shrove
Tuesday
*Christianity
14
Valentine’s Day
15
Family Day
16
-Pita day
10
-Gr 6 OPP Kids
-Term 1 Report
Cards Go Home
12-Spirit Day:
Wear Red,
White & Pink
- Skating
JK-6 12:30pm
-Pizza day
-Vasant
Panchami
13
*Christianity
-EPSAC Pasta
Dinner & Silent
Auction
5:307:30pm
17
-Gr 6 OPP Kids
-Jr. Volleyball
18
-Volleyball
‘Raindate’
19
-Native Elder
Jan Sherman
visits Gr 5
-Pizza day
20
24
-Gr 6 OPP Kids
25
26
-Character Ed
Assembly
-Pizza day
27
-Ash
Wednesday
Tourney @ Erin
No School
11
-Character Ed
Assembly
*Hinduism
-Nirvana Day
*Buddhism
21
22
23
-Hotdog Day
-Intercalary
Days (26th-28th)
*Baha’i
28
29