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,
Principal
October 2015 - Issue 2
Sheri MacKenzie,
Office Co-Ordinator
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK…
The school year is off to a solid start. Life on any given day is full of excitement. Within the classroom
the children are engaged in curriculum learning in a variety of ways; teachers are using diagnostic,
formative and summative assessments to plan for individual needs; food days have begun; we had our
first assembly to welcome back students and elect our student reps; EPSAC has met and planned a
number of community spirit events that are perennial favourites; a plan is being made to replace one of
the structures on the playground that is unsafe; the Terry Fox run is about to take place this coming
Friday; Eagle Tickets are being used to recognize kindness and perseverance; JustSigns.ca has
generously sponsored our school with a season’s set of Storm Hockey tickets; our lunch supervisors
(Mrs. Bauman, Mrs. Glover, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Knierim, Mrs. Paulissen, Mrs. Varley) help to make sure
our students are safe; all staff including lunch supervisors are completing mandatory safety training; our
EPSAC reps have planned their first Spirit Day on Friday, October 9th – Farmer Day (to recognize the
importance of our farmers); the NED Show (ask your children what the acronym stands for) has been
arranged – a performance that supports our character education theme this year; and many more
events are in the works. Hope to see you at the Halloween Dance brought to you by EPSAC on
Thursday, October 29th (further information coming home soon). School is a happening place!
This year the school has a Twitter site where we hope to capture some of the great daily happenings in
the school. Our Twitter handle is @EramosaPS. For people without a Twitter account, please visit our
school website (www.ugdsb.on.ca/eramosa) where you can view the most recent posts. It is exciting to
highlight the wonderful things that our staff, students and volunteers are doing in the school! We are also
showing some of the tweets on our television in the foyer. .
TRANSPORTATION TWITTER SITE
Follow STWDSTS Transportation @STWDSTS for news, inclement weather and
other great information.
EPSAC NEWS
At our last month’s meeting the school council executive membership was filled as follows:
Principal: Katrina Plazek
Non-Teaching Member: Sheri MacKenzie
Chair: Chris Williston
Teacher Rep: Darlene Shaw
Treasurer: Jackie Davis Rayner
Secretary: Amy Price
Parent Reps: Laura Mullin, Tanya Mundy, Christa Ormiston, Maria Rossi
All parents are welcome to join us for any meeting. We begin at 7 pm in the library and there is a small
snack to get us started.
The meeting dates for the year were confirmed: Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb 9, Apr. 12, May
10, June 14
Congratulations are also going out to our newly elected student council reps, Anna and Emily. There
was great interest this year in running to be a student rep for the school. Our students went through
everything required; getting permission from their parents, creating and designing posters, writing a
speech, and presenting it to the student body. Every SK - grade 6 student in our school participated in
the election. It took perseverance and courage to go through the process, and we are very proud of all
of them.
If you would like to receive emails from the school council (or to unsubscribe) please contact the chair
Chris Williston at chris.williston@gmail.com.
Mrs. Price (the EPSAC Secretary) and Ms. MacKenzie will be sending out a parent survey from EPSAC
to solicit ideas from families. We want to consider new ideas and stay fresh! The results of this survey
will be shared at the October meeting by Mrs. Price. One survey per family please. Thank you for taking
the time to give your input. Your parent reps are there to represent all families. Please feel free to
contact any of them.
CHESS BOARDS
If you have any old dusty (but complete) chess boards sitting in your closet, please
consider donating it to the school. Mr. Ellis has plans to run a chess club again, and with
student interest being so great, we are looking for more boards. Thank you for your help!
TERRY FOX SCHOOL RUN
Our Terry Fox run was rescheduled to October 2nd and we are very happy to have been able to
participate in this very worthy cause. Thanks to Ms. MacKenzie for picking up the
delicious apples for our healthy snack! Terry Fox will always remain a hero in the
Canadian history books and it will fulfill his dream when he is recognized as one of
the pioneers that helped forge the way to a world where cancer has been cured.
There are no families unaffected by this disease and every donation helps the
scientists get closer to conquering it. Thank you for your support.
YEARBOOK
In order to provide our students with a professional looking yearbook that they can
treasure for years to come, a decision has been made to create our school yearbook
online using the services of a Board approved vendor. The final product will still
come in hard copy form. If you have any questions, please call Mrs. McKnight at the
school.
NO TIPPY TAPPY WHOLE FAMILY SOCCER PLAYING EVENT – NOVEMBER 14TH
1-3 PM
The School Council applied for and obtained a grant that will permit entire families and their invited
guests to participate in a free, family event on Saturday, November 14th, 2015 from 1-3 pm. This a
wonderful family time opportunity where health, fitness and family time are all blended into one. Please
invite friends and families to join you. This is an all ages event! Aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings are
welcome! Stay tuned for more information coming home from the parent council. Keep the date open
on your calendar!
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
The East Wellington Community Services Group is collecting food for people in our
community. Our donations go toward helping about 20 individuals/families in Rockwood.
Clients can visit the food bank once a month where they will be provided with a variety of
food meant to supplement their own grocery shopping. Our food drive will run from
Monday, September 28th until donations are collected on October 8th. Thanks for helping
our community!
Needed items include:
• Cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix (Breakfast items)
• Cheez Whiz, jam, honey (sandwich alternatives to send to school)
• Coffe and tea
• Crackers
• School snacks (peanut free granola bars, applesauce)
• Canned fruit
• Canned tomatoes
• Rice
• Shampoo
• Dish soap or laundry soap
CASL – CANADA’S ANTI-SPAM LEGISLATION
This legislation is designed to decrease the amount of unwanted, electronic solicitation you receive.
Because we sometimes include information about fundraising etc., it is important for parents to sign up
to give us permission to continue to send you newsletters, etc at www.ugdsb.on.ca/CASL.
ANAPHYLAXIS AND PRODUCTS THAT MIMIC PEANUT BUTTER
Anaphylaxis is an allergy to something that is potentially life threatening to an individual.
We have students who have life threatening allergies in our school. Recently there have been products
available at the grocery stores that are being offered as an alternative to peanut butter. One such
product is called WOW butter. It has the appearance and taste of peanut butter, but is a soy-based
product.
Our Board policy/procedures for Life Threatening Allergies indicate that this product (or any others that
imitate a known life threatening allergen) is not allowed in classrooms. This is not because of a health
danger, but because it is confusing for students in the class and for staff monitoring the room. We
cannot find ourselves in a situation where we have to decide whether something is peanut butter or not.
A simple note from parents is not sufficient.
We appreciate that it is difficult at times to find a variety of items for student lunches, however, we ask
for your understanding and support in this situation.
HOWL-O-WEEN FAMILY DANCE - OCTOBER 29TH
It is that time of year; time for our families to dress up in their spooky costumes and
dance the night away! On Thursday, October 29th, EPSAC is very excited to
announce that the Howl-O-Ween family dance will take place. Dress up in your
favourite Halloween Costume. The dance will run from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Tickets
are $3 per person (seniors and children 2 and under are free). Snacks will be
available for purchase. More info coming home from EPSAC later this month.
RAZ KIDS
Many families are aware of the on-line levelled reading collection licence that we have purchased to
make available to every student in the school. This is a licence we purchase for the year and it is good
for the summer months too. It provides hundreds of colourful, engaging on-line books
that are just the perfect reading level for your child. Each teacher will send home
a sheet with the web address to find all the colourful books. Your child can read the
book, listen to the book read to them, answer comprehension questions, or listen to
her/himself reading. This is a fantastic supplement to your child’s classroom home
reading program. We are awaiting the licences; you will be notified by your child’s
homeroom teacher when we receive them. Check it out! You will be glad you did.
RECYCLING REMINDER
At Eramosa we recycle used batteries, pop can tabs, markers and ‘Good on one side’ (GOOS) paper.
There are containers located near the front entrance. As well, we have compost bins in each
classroom. Please encourage your children to eat all of their apples before putting the core in
the compost. We are noticing a lot of apples that have just a few bites out of them.
Thank you, Mrs. Shaw
REPORTING BULLYING
This is a reminder that bullying incidents can be reported to teachers, the principal or on-line at:
www.ugdsb.on.ca/reportbullying
CUSTODY ISSUES/CONTACT INFORMATION
If there are special custody arrangements for your child(ren) that change through the year, please bring
a copy of the Court order to the office so that we have a copy for the child(ren)’s school file. Decisions to
release children are based on legal documentation contained in the Ontario Student Record. Attention
to this matter is very important.
It is also important for the school to know changes in workplace, emergency contact numbers and
changes in living arrangements. Please notify the office if any of these change so that we can update
our records and ensure they are accurate.
INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES
We are part of “Division 2", which is “Centre Wellington and the Town of Erin”. This is also known as the
“Blue Card” division.
On inclement weather days, please listen to CJOY (1460 AM) or Magic FM (106.1
FM) for information about bus cancellations or visit the Upper Grand District School
Board web-site (www.ugdsb.on.ca).
Please note that, as in the past, Eramosa Public School will be closed to
students if buses in our division are not running.
**Student Transportation now offers a Subscription Service that will notify you via e-mail when your
child(ren)'s bus has been cancelled or delayed.**
Simply visit: https://www.findmyschool.ca/Cancellations.aspx to sign up!
STORM TICKETS - BUSINESS DONATION
We are very grateful to have received another set of season’s tickets for 2015-2016
from a local business sponsor, www.JustSigns.ca, for the Guelph Storm games that
take place at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph. Students who demonstrate kindness or
perseverance receive tickets that are entered in a draw and have a chance to win. Ambrose & Avery
were our first lucky winners! Thanks again to the Fox family for your generosity and for making so many
families happy!!
HALLOWEEN PARADE
On Thursday, October 29th we will hold our annual costume parade at 2:45 pm.
Students may bring costumes to school to put on after our 2:20 pm recess. When
selecting a costume and accessories, please do not send any toy weapons or artificial
blood to school.
The parade is intended to be a fun event for children in all grades. We hope to see you at the EPSAC
Dance later that evening.
LAMONTAGNE FUNDRAISER
Packages for the LaMontagne items were sent home on September 28th. Your family order is packed
individually and will be ready by mid-November (date TBA), in time for holiday purchases.
As with every fundraiser that happens at school, participation is voluntary. Funds raised will help
purchase items that help us to improve the education of the children. Thank you for any support you can
give.
VIOLENCE THREAT RISK ASSESSMENT
The Upper Grand District School Board is committed to providing safe learning environments for all
students, staff, school visitors and community members. When a student behaves inappropriately,
principals use progressive discipline to help a student take responsibility for their actions, change their
behaviour, and learn from their mistakes.
When students’ behaviour pose a potential threat to safety or serious harm, the Community Violence
Threat Risk Assessment Protocol (VTRA) helps principals take further steps to protect students' wellbeing.
More information is provided on our school website as well as the UGDSB website.
UG2GO
Our board has a fantastic resource for all of our students that can be accessed 24/7 from school or from
home. It’s called UG2GO and includes Learn360 (educational video streaming), Student Link (a site
children use at school that gives them access to web sites that are kid friendly and relate directly to their
current units of study), Tumblebooks (a site that has hundreds of books children can
click on and have read to them), Noodletools (gives children help making
bibliographies), Knowledge Ontario (a variety of approved encyclopedias, magazine
articles suitable for elementary students), and much more. When students are at home they can go to
the main address: https://www.ugdsb.on.ca/ug2go which will prompt them to enter the same Windows
username and password that they use at school to get onto the school network. Once they enter their
Windows username/password they will enter the site and they can then click on any of the resources
and be taken directly to the individual resource without the need to login.
Please take a few minutes to explore the site with your child. It is an important tool that will aid them in
their education, and may make your life easier when it comes to homework and projects. We are
excited that students will be able to access information from anywhere and at anytime in this information
age!
WELLINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY – ROCKWOOD BRANCH, OCTOBER
PROGRAMMES
Bedtime Stories (All Ages)
Wear your pjs and snuggle up to our quiet evening story time for families. Please register.
Mondays, September 14 to October 19, 6:30 - 7:00 pm
Build It! LEGO (Grades K- 6)
Join us for some exciting LEGO challenges! You bring your creativity and we will provide the LEGO.
Please register.
Thursday, October 8, 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Page Turners Book Club (Grades K- 6)
Read together and come to discuss at this parent-child book club. Please register.
Tuesday, October 13, 6:30 pm
Canadian Red Cross Babysitting Course (Pre-teen)
This course is for 11 - 16 yr olds and includes caring and safety for babies and children, understanding their needs and
stages, rescue breathing, basic first aid, choking skills, coping with common situations, injury prevention, handling
emergencies and creating a safe environment. Please register.
Saturday, October 24, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Minecraft Madness! Spooky Edition (Grades K- 6)
Come out and explore Minecraft in real life! Spooky crafts, games and activities inspired by those
awesome 8-bit characters. Wear your Hallowe’en costume! Please register.
Friday, October 30, 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Rockwood branch library
85 Christie Street Rockwood, ON
519.856.4851 • www.wellington.ca/Library
LEARNING TO KEYBOARD – RECOMMENDED SITES
We are sharing some keyboarding sites which will help students learn how to navigate a keyboard
quickly and efficiently. Try one out!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games.html
http://www.freetypinggame.net/
http://kids.learn2type.com/
http://www.typingweb.com/
http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/
http://www.nimblefingers.com/
http://www.typeonline.co.uk/lesson1.html
OCTOBER IS DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH
A whole month dedicated to celebrating, advocating and bringing awareness to Down Syndrome. Down
Syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This additional
genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down
Syndrome (NDSS). People with Down Syndrome attend school, work, participate in decisions that affect
them and contribute to society in many ways. While there may be a cognitive delay, the effect is usually
mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses.
Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care and positive support
from family, friends and the community enable people with Down Syndrome to develop to their full
potential and live fulfilling lives. Get involved! October offers multiple ways to participate in activities,
events, and to help in raising awareness. Participate in a local Buddy Walk, educate those around you
using NDSS’s Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/NDSSorg.The Canadian Down Syndrome
Society offers educator resources that include videos parents can view with their children about children
with Down Syndrome.
TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH!
Welcome to the new school year! My name is Dr. Lynn Woodford and I am the Mental Health and
Addiction Lead for the school board. Every month I write a column for school newsletters about mental
health and provide strategies and resources for families.
Hope that the transition back to school has been a positive one for you and your family. If your child or
youth is experiencing any challenges with the transition back to school, please talk to your child or
youth’s teacher or administrator.
The UGDSB has many resources available on its website: http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/ for parents and
students to access. To access these resources: click on the Parent tab then click on the Mental Health
Tab. There is also a Student tab with a Mental Health tab, which you can share with your children and
youth.
Once you are on site, you will find information about local mental health and addiction resources:
• Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington Dufferin Branch (CMHA WWD)
o To access Addictions, Mental Health (including eating disorders and first episode psychosis)
and Crisis Services (Guelph/Wellington for Children/Youth and Guelph/Wellington/Dufferin for
Adults) contact:
 HERE247 at 1 844 437 3247 (1 844 HERE247)
 www.here247.ca
o Walk in Services on Tuesdays for Children/Youth 1:30- 7:00
 485 Silvercreek Pkwy, Guelph
o wwd.cmha.ca
•
Dufferin Child and Family Services (Services for Children/Youth in Dufferin County)
o To access Addictions, Mental Health and Crisis Services
 519-941-1530
o Talk in Services on Tuesdays 1:00- 7:00
 655 Riddell Road, Orangeville
o http://dcafs.on.ca/
There is an Access to Mental Health Resources document that provides more details about counselling
and supports in Guelph Wellington Dufferin.
There are also links to useful websites with information for parents about mental health and addictions
such as:
•
Kids Help Phone (1 800 668 6868) www.KidsHelpPhone.ca provides phone and web counselling for youth
under the age of 20. Support is free, 24/7, anonymous and confidential.
•
The ABCs of Mental Health http://www.hincksdellcrest.org/ABC/Welcome provides information related to
different mental health concerns, according to developmental ages.
Hope these resources are helpful for you and your families. Hope you have a wonderful fall!
Dr. Lynn Woodford is the Mental Health and Addiction Lead for Upper Grand District School Board
October's Environmental Theme: PROTECT OUR EARTH
This year we will challenge ourselves to LIVE green every day, because one small change one day at a
time adds up to a world of difference. The environmental theme for September is sustainability.
‘Sustainability’ means protecting our Earth and using Earth's natural resources carefully, like forests,
water, minerals, and fossil fuels.
Part of living in a sustainable way is using, buying and eating only what you really need. This saves
resources and cuts down on waste too. For example, do you really need a new pencil case or pencil
crayons or a brand new eraser every year, or do your old ones still work? Do you throw your leftover
lunch items in the garbage at school, or do you take them home and eat them for a snack after school?
Do you buy vintage clothing or wear hand-me downs? Do you eat meat every day, or do you eat
vegetarian at least once a week, like those who have accepted the 'Meatless Monday Canada'
challenge.
To find out how carefully you use the Earth's resources, Google the following words: “zero footprint
calculator” and take the footprint calculator quiz. It will tell you how many Earths we would need to
survive if everyone lived like you!
Slogan of the month: Sustainability – choosing to live better with less!
The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
The Upper Grand District School Board has established a Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) in
accordance with the Education Act. SEAC is made up of local parent representatives of Provincial Associations,
two school trustees and interested local community representatives.
SEAC members receive orientation and training to become informed on important topics in Special Education:
● Sections of the Education Act relating to Special Education
● Regulations and Ministry memoranda
● Board policies regarding Special Education
● The Board Special Education Report
● Roles and responsibilities of SEAC
● The funding of Special Education
What does SEAC do?
● Makes recommendations for the establishment, development and delivery of Special Education programs and services
for exceptional pupils in our Board.
● Participates in the Board’s annual review of its Special Education Report.
● Participates in the Board’s annual budget process and financial statement review as they relate to Special Education.
● Provides information to parents, as requested.
● Supports the Special Olympics Annual Track and Field day.
Procedures for Selecting Members
● nominations from local associations
● approaching local chapters of provincial associations for suggestions
● writing a presentation that can be shared with parent councils, families of schools, etc.to get the information about
SEAC into the community
Meeting Times and Dates
The SEAC meets on a regular basis. Meetings occur on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Upper
Grand District School Board office at 500 Victoria Road North, in the Board room. Meetings are open to the public.
Members of the public should contact Program Services (Krystyna Gazo at 5199416191 ext. 254) to confirm the time,
date and location of the meetings.
Further information regarding SEAC, as well as Special Education in Upper Grand District School Board can be found
on the UGDSB Special Education Plan , as well as the Board website.
School Year 2015-2016
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Public Health provides dental screening for all students in JK, SK, Grade 2, and other students as
appropriate. Screening is provided under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and any information is
collected according to our privacy policy (Please see the back of this page).
We will be visiting your school on October 13, 2015.
What is a screening?
Screening is a quick look in the mouth by the registered dental hygienist. She uses a sterilized dental
mirror and protective vinyl gloves for each child. You will be notified if we see an urgent dental condition.
A screening is important. It identifies children who have dental problems and helps them to get care. It
also gathers statistics about the dental health of children in our community and helps us to identify
programs that may be needed.
This screening is not meant to replace a full examination by your family dentist.
If you don’t want your child screened at school, please call us at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 2634 one week
before the date of our visit. Leave your child’s full name, school, birth date, and grade.
What dental programs and services are available at Public Health?
Children aged 17 and under, whose families can’t afford dental care, may be eligible for one of our free
programs to help with urgent and preventive care.
For more information or to book a free appointment please call the Dental Intake Line at
1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661.
Yours truly,
Dr. Robert Hawkins
Dental Consultant
Head Office | 160 Chancellors Way, Guelph, ON N1G 0E1
Telephone: 519-822-2715 | 1-800-265-7293 | www.wdgpublichealth.ca
Our privacy policy at WDG Public Health:
The information collected for Dental Screening is under the authority of the Health Protection and
Promotion Act in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
and the Personal Health Information Protection Act. This information will be used for the delivery of
public health programs and services; the administration of the agency; and the maintenance of healthcare databases, registries and related research, in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Any questions about the collection of this information should be addressed to the Chief Privacy Officer at
1-800-265-7293 ext 4354.
Head Office | 160 Chancellors Way, Guelph, ON N1G 0E1
Telephone: 519-822-2715 | 1-800-265-7293 | www.wdgpublichealth.ca
Chromebooks
in your public library!
Upper Grand students can now get a Chromebook to do assignments after
school, evenings and Saturdays
CHILDREN & YOUTH FALL PROGRAMS 2015
HELD AT
WELLINGTON CENTRE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION
1428 Gordon St., Guelph
To Register Call:
519-836-7280
OR Online:
www.learningforyou.ca
Programs
Age
Dates & Times
Description
Fee
A
R
T
Art &
Beyond
Art Attack
11 +
Thurs Oct 15, 8-8:15 pm, 8 Wks
For the mature artist.
$80
4-8
Thurs Oct 15, 5-5:50 pm, 8 Wks
Designed for the creative young
artist to produce amazing art work.
$60
Cartooning
& Sculpting
7-12
Thurs Oct 15, 6-6:50 pm, 8 Wks
Animated cartooning characters on
paper and 3D sculpting.
$60
Painting
Extravaganza
8-14
Thurs Oct 15, 7-8 pm, 8 Wks
Variety of art mediums used.
$60
Babysitting
11+
Fri Oct 30, 9-4:30 pm, 1 Day
Fri Nov 27, 9-4:30 pm, 1 Day
Mon Dec 21, 9-4:30 pm, 1 Day
Red Cross, certificate course. Learn
basic skills in order to care for
infants & children up to school age.
$60
Badminton
9-14
Tue Oct 13, 5-5:50 pm, 8 Wks
Thu Oct 15, 6-6:50 pm, 8 Wks
Learn skills and be prepared to
rally.
$55
Dynamic Dance
5-7
Tue Oct 13, 5-5:50 pm, 8 Wks
$60
Dynamic Dance
6-9
Tue Oct 13, 6-6:50 pm, 8 Wks
Kiddie Kickers
3.5-5
Thu Oct 15, 5-5:45 pm, 8 Wks
Kids Only Cooking
10-15
Thurs Oct 1, 6-8:15 pm, 3 Wks
Location: College Heights S.S.
Dancing from ballet, contemporary
and hip hop. No dance experience
required.
Dancing from ballet, contemporary
and hip hop. No dance experience
required.
Learn basic skills and team
cooperation.
Chef Susan will teach the basics of
cooking from scratch.
Soccer-Indoor
4-8
Tues Oct 13, 6-6:50 pm, 8 Wks
Learn basic rules and skills.
$55
View Course Guide online
www.ugdsb.on.ca
www.ugdsb.on.ca/kids
$60
$55
$140