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
Katrina Plazek,
Principal
NEWSLETTER
September 2014 - Issue 1
Sheri MacKenzie,
Office Co- Ordinator
From the Principal’s Desk…
A warm welcome back to all of our students, staff and community! Hopefully you were
able to enjoy time with your friends and family. The leaves are just starting to turn
colour which is the heralding of the fall season. Students have been busy preparing for
their first day back and it is always with a sense of excitement that they anticipate the
new year and meeting with old friends. Parents are digging out the lunchboxes once
again and the teachers and staff are in busily preparing for the first day of school. We
look forward to another wonderful year together! Hope to see you at
the first Open House on September 18th from 5:30 - 7:00pm. The
School Council will host a BBQ (more details to follow), the book fair
will be open, and teachers will look forward to meeting the families of
the students in their classrooms.
This year we are very pleased to welcome our new staff including Jacqueline Nyman (Full
Day Kindergarten Teacher), Wendy Jackson (Early Childhood Educator - Kindergarten),
Danielle Law (Grade 1/2), Susana Gold (grade 3/4), Nathan Ellis (Planning/Resource),
Shannon Gorr (Library), Shauna Hanna (EA) and Nicole Papajanis (EA). They have come
to a wonderful little school and we are so happy to have them. Welcome!
Katrina Plazek
Principal
Food Program
Everything you need to know about the food program is coming home today.
Please complete the steps and send back the required information by Monday,
September 8th at the very latest. Cancellations, changes and new orders will be
accepted at Christmas and March Break only please.
Battery Recycling at School
If you have small household batteries, including disposable batteries (ie. alkaline AA, AAA),
rechargeable batteries (ie. NiCd and NiMH AA, AAA), cell phone batteries, etc. please send
them to school with your child and he/she can place them in our battery recycling pail at the
main office.
***Important Information to Complete and Return***
Many important forms are coming home today. Please complete and return these to the school
as soon as possible.
- FOI permission form
- Food Program order form (due September 8th)
- White student information form (accurate information is important)
- Volunteer Form
- Parent Council Form (due September 5th)
-CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation)
First School Council Meeting
The first school council meeting of the year will take place at 7 pm in the library on Tuesday,
September 9th. You will receive a school council nomination form in the First Day Package.
Please fill it out and return it by September 5th if you are interested in running for Chair,
Treasurer, Secretary or Parent Rep. Elections/Acclimation, budget development, EPSAC
barbeque and fundraising ideas are a few of the items to be covered. Please consider coming
out to join us! Meetings usually take place the second Tuesday of the month starting at 7 pm.
Meeting dates will be posted in next month’s newsletter.
Electronic Newsletter
To help save the environment and reduce the use of ink, paper, toner, etc., paper copies will be
provided only to people who contact Ms. MacKenzie at the office and make arrangements. Thank
you for helping us to help the environment! Newsletters are available on the first school day
of the month. The newsletter can be viewed online at www.ugdsb.on.ca/eramosa; why not sign up
for email notification on the Eramosa school website- just look for the button.
Agendas
Agendas are a valuable communication tool that promotes the habit of excellent
organization. Thank you to EPSAC for supporting this initiative.
Students with Life Threatening Allergies to Peanuts, Nuts & Kiwi- Anaphylaxis
We have students with life threatening allergic reactions to peanuts, nuts & other nuts. The
safety of all our students is very important to us. Please be aware that, due to legislation
requiring every school to reduce the risk of exposure of anaphylactic causative agents, we are
restricting the presence of nuts at Eramosa. Please DO NOT send kiwi or nut
products to school for snack or lunch with your child; this includes imitation nut
products. Students with anaphylaxis may perish if they come into contact with
foods containing even small amounts of peanuts or nuts.
Family Handbook
The Family Handbook can be found on-line at the Eramosa School Website found at
www.ugdsb.on.ca/eramosa. Please take time to review this with your child.
Toonies for Terry
Please mark Wednesday, September 24th on your calendar as the date of our
annual Terry Fox Run. We will send home information soon about our plans for
this event.
Class Organizations
Classroom organizations are tentative until our enrolment numbers are confirmed and the Board
staffing committee meets to review Ministry compliance. Necessary changes will be made in the
third week of school. Mrs. Plazek will contact parents of any students who will be moved.
Eramosa Staff and Phone Extensions for 2013 – 2014
For future reference, please refer to this list. To report a late arrival or student absence
we ask that you leave a message only at extension 100. This extension is monitored
regularly every day.
Class
Jr. & Sr. Kindergarten
Grade 1/2A
Grade 2/3B
Grade 2/3B & Library
Grade 3/4A
Grade 4/5B
Grade 5/6A
Core French
Planning/ Resource
Early Childhood Educator
Educational Assistants
Custodian
Office Co-ordinator
Principal
Teacher
J. Nyman
D. Law
J. McKnight
S. Gorr
S. Gold
D. Shaw
P. Demysh
B. McMorris
N. Ellis
W. Jackson
S. Barnes
S. Hanna
N. Papajanis
T. Baker
S. MacKenzie
K. Plazek
Ext.
410
401
407
225
411
406
409
408
414
403
405
413
412
400
221
223
Open House
Our September Open House, Barbeque and Book Fair will be held on Thursday, September 18th
from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
Our evening schedule is:
5:30 - 7:00 Book Fair
5:30 - 6:30 Barbeque
6:00 - 7:00 Classrooms open
More information about the EPSAC BBQ will be sent home in the coming weeks.
Because of time constraints and lack of privacy on Open House Night, this is not an appropriate
time for individual parent-teacher conferences or progress reports. If you would like more
specific information about your child’s progress, please feel free to make an appointment with
his/her teacher on a different day, when your questions can be properly addressed.
School Bus Information
Our school bus routes will be driven by First Student (Route 200) and Denny’s (Routes 371, 372,
373, 374 and 375). Some of our drivers have long-standing connections to Eramosa PS and we
appreciate the care that they take to get our children safely to and from school every day. A
group of students in grades 5 and 6 have been trained in simple First Aid and emergency
procedures and serve as Bus Patrols. Their job is to support children in bus lines and on the
bus, and to work with the driver to maintain order on the bus.
Kindergarten children will be assigned Bus Buddies who will assist our
youngest children with bus routines.
Please review the expectations of the bus drivers in the Family
Handbook with your child. A safe and happy bus ride is good for
everyone.
School Visitors
We love to have company! Parents and volunteers are often at Eramosa for a variety of reasons.
When you come into the building, please follow these procedures:
1. Go into the office to report to Ms. MacKenzie. Please wait until you are received.
2. Sign our Guest book.
3. Sign out at the Office when you leave.
Lifetouch Photographers
Individual and class photographs will be taken by Lifetouch on Tuesday, October
28th. More information will follow with details about how to purchase. Retake
day & pictures for absent students will be communicated in the October newsletter.
Safe Arrival and Departure
If you drive your child(ren) to school in the morning, please drop them off at the front walk,
ask them to put their backpacks in their designated class line and join their friends on the
playground. Students are not to walk on the black top unescorted in the morning or afternoon
for safety purposes. Entry into the school prior to the bell is permitted only under special
circumstances and with permission from the classroom teacher. Children who arrive late need
to report to the main office to pick up a late slip before going to their classroom. Parents may
accompany children to the front foyer, and children will walk from there to their classrooms on
their own or with a staff member. Punctual attendance is expected and helps your child to
learn.
If you pick up your child during the day, please sign them out in the Student Sign In/Out
binder. If you are picking them up after school, please sign them out on the appropriate bus
clip board in Ms. MacKenzie’s office. We will ask you to wait in the front foyer, where your
child will meet you. Please do not go to the hallway, classroom or playground to pick up
your child. If someone other than the parent or guardian is picking up your child, please send
a note or call the school to let us know. Thank you for understanding that these procedures are
in place for the safety of all of our children.
Calling at the end of the day should only happen in extraordinary circumstances. Please use your
child’s agenda to notify the office of your plans. This helps ensure the safety of all the
children.
Recess
Recess time is designed for students to take a break from their studies
and to enjoy some outdoor active play. This is an opportunity for them to
learn and practise social skills of taking turns, playing fairly and including
others. Students are welcome to bring skipping ropes and balls from home.
Please label all equipment with your child’s name. Access to the creative
play structures will be dependent on weather conditions. For safety
reasons please note that children will not be allowed on this equipment if
they are wearing flip flops. Older students are not to pick up younger
students on the playground, or inside the hallways.
Medication at School
All student medication (prescription or over the counter) must be stored and administered from
the office. It is important for the safety of the child taking the medicine and the other
students in the school. In order to give any medication, we must have the appropriate form
completed and signed by a parent or guardian. As well, the container must have
the pharmaceutical sticker on it indicating the name of the child and
directions for administering the medication. This is designed to ensure that
mistakes are not made. Please call the school when you require these forms.
Children requiring medication such as EPI-PENS for life-threatening medical conditions are
required to carry these medications with them at all times. We suggest a fanny pack.
Additional EPI-PENS may be kept in the school office.
If your child has a life threatening medical condition, please call the school for more
information and to set up a “Life Threatening Management & Prevention Plan, ” in consultation
with your family doctor.
Student Accident Insurance
Parents or guardians are responsible for expenses related to student injuries on school
premises during school activities. Accidents can and do happen and the costs involved might not
be fully covered by Provincial Health Care or employer group insurance plans.
The Upper Grand District School Board is empowered under the Education Act to offer
Accident and Life Insurance for students.
Information will be sent home the second week in September with respect to
Student Accident Insurance offered by the Reliable Life Insurance Company.
You will receive the Director's letter, an Acknowledgment to be signed by
parents (and returned to school) and a Student Accident Insurance application
form (to be mailed directly to Reliable Life). Reliable Life Insurance
Company offers a variety of options, including family rates and multi-year
plans, at affordable prices. The cost must be paid by parents or guardian.
Subscription is directly through Reliable Life by mail or on line. Questions
should be directed to Reliable Life at 1-800-463-5437 or www.insuremykids.com
For today's active children, especially those who participate in field trips, co-curricular and
other school activities outside the school day, Student Accident Insurance is valuable. You can
find additional information on the Board’s website at www.ugdsb.on.ca.
Dress for the Weather
September weather can be unpredictable. We plan to go outside for
every recess break, unless there is heavy rain or the threat of severe
storm. Children should have a sweater or light jacket in their backpacks
to wear outside if necessary.
All children need to have two sets of footwear, one for indoor use and the
other for outdoor. The best choice is running shoes, which can double as
gym shoes, for both indoor and outdoor use. For safety reasons, flip flops
are not suitable for school.
Head Lice
This is a good time to check your child(ren) carefully for head lice. Many children are in close
contact with each other over the summer and as a result these pests spread easily. If you do
find head lice on your child they must be treated and all nits/eggs removed before the child
returns to school. We need volunteers to periodically check children here at school. These
checks are done during class time and volunteers are discreet in reporting their findings to the
office. If you not wish to have your child participate in routine checks for head lice, please
send a note to the school. If you are interested in offering your assistance we would greatly
appreciate your help.
Bicycles
Students in grades 5 and 6 may ride their bicycles, weather permitting, if they have written
parental permission. One note is sufficient for the season. Students need
to wear a helmet, walk their bicycles on school property, lock it on the
bicycle rack and follow safety and traffic rules when riding to and from
school. They need to inform the office when they ride their bike home
before they leave. For the safety of all, permission may be temporarily
withdrawn from individual students if these rules are not followed.
A Message from the Program Department
Learning? Thinking? Or Learning to Think?
Everyone sends their child to school to learn. Or do we? Do we send our children to school to
become programmed robots who simply regurgitate facts and formulas, or do we send them to
school to learn to think?
Learning is not about committing ideas to memory. Learning is about exploring ideas and building
on our understanding of the world. Remember your two year old child who never stopped asking
“why”? They were learning to make sense of the world around them. Learning is about problem
solving, generating ideas, analyzing facts, critically evaluating decisions and asking questions to
make sense of things. David Perkins in Smart Schools (1992) says that “learning is a
consequence of thinking”. Scores on a test (depending on the test) are not evidence of learning.
I know as a parent, I often said to my children; “think about it”, “think for yourself, or “what do
you think?” For those of you with pre-teens and teens, I’m sure, like me, there were plenty of
times you wished you knew what they were thinking (well, maybe not all the
time)!
As parents we need to model thinking and learning for our children. Instead of
saying “I don’t know” or “because I said so”, we need to share our perspectives,
insights, ideas and misunderstandings with our children. We need to share how
we plan, organize, make a decision and seek clarity at home or at work. We need to share our
thinking with our children so they can develop their own ideas and learn how to think.
When our children offer a differing opinion, we need to value what they have to say, instead of
allowing it to become a “because I said so” power struggle. We need to ask our children this
simple question; “what makes you say that?”, and listen – really listen. We need to have them
explain and share their thinking with us. Even when their ideas are very different from ours,
we need to give them their voice, and then offer ours with an explanation as to why we think
that way.
Tonight when your children come home from school don’t ask them what they learned today or
what they did. Instead, ask them what made them think today. When they look at you as if
you have two heads and have completely lost it, ask them more questions. Push them to think.
Together, we need to encourage them to question what they see and read on the internet, we
need to model for them how to make informed decisions, and we need to prepare them for jobs
not yet created.
Excited, interested energy is learning, because that’s when thinking occurs; that’s when children
own their learning, and that’s what going to school is all about.
Cheryl Van Ooteghem
Principal of Program
CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation)
The Upper Grand District School Board is CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation) compliant.
Please visit our CASL Consent website at www.ugdsb.on.ca/CASL to ensure we have your consent
to receive newsletters, school and Board updates, announcements, event invitations and other
electronic messages which may contain advertising or promotions regarding school fundraisers,
field trips, the sale of yearbooks, student pictures, uniforms, books, prom or dance tickets or
similar events and offers.
TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 2014
VISIT US AT WWW.STWDSTS.CA and WWW.FINDMYSCHOOL.CA
TF022
HOW DO I ACCESS MY CHILD’S BUSSING INFORMATION?
NEW STUDENTS AND JUNIOR AND SENIOR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS -REGISTERED AT SCHOOL OF
ATTENDANCE If your child is new to the Ontario school system and has been registered at a school prior to the
end of June, transportation information will be mailed August 18th.
NEW TO THE AREA -NOT REGISTERED AT A SCHOOL YET
If you are new to the area please contact your school to register your child. STWDSTS will not be accepting new
student information over the phone for security reasons. Any new students throughout the summer will not receive
transportation arrangements until they are registered at their home school. Once this occurs, you can contact your
school directly to obtain your new bussing information. Please note that during start-up, bussing could take up to 2
weeks to be arranged.
EXISITING STUDENT TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
If your child is an existing student, go to www.findmyschool.ca and login to this secure site with your child’s OEN
number (located on report card), school name, birth date and house number. This will be available after August 18 th.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF OUR BUS ADDRESS CHANGES BETWEEN JULY & AUGUST?
Prior to September 1st, 2014 contact STWDSTS with your new address at 519-824-4119. We are open during July and
August so please do not wait until September to contact us. Transportation requests received prior to August 24th,
2014 will be processed for the first week of school. After this date bussing could take up to 2 weeks to be arranged.
HOW DO I C HANG E MY STUDENT’S BUS INFORMATION AFTER SEPTEMBER?
After September 1st, 2014 Service de transport de Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Services (STWDSTS)
will no longer be accepting any changes to student information over the phone for security reasons. Parents are
asked to contact their school administration directly about any changes including but not limited to - new
students, changing daycare addresses, revising joint custody information or about a student moving. All
information will come from the school to STWDSTS and will be consistent across the board.
BUS DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS THROUGH EMAIL
STWDSTS offers a subscription service that will notify you via email when your child’s bus has been cancelled or is
delayed. To subscribe go to: https://www.findmyschool.ca/subscriptions/login.aspx and follow the directions.
Please be reminded, if your children’s bus changes you must go into your subscription and manually change their
route number.
66 Arrow Rd, Unit B • Guelph, ON N1K 1T4 • Phone (519) 824-4119 • Fax (519) 822-9097 • Toll-Free 1-888-292-2224
BUS TAGS! WHAT ARE THEY AND WHO WEARS THEM?
Students in JK, SK and Gr 1 who ride a school bus will receive a tag from their school showing the student’s afternoon
bus route number and bus stop location. The identifying tag should be worn (preferably on his or her backpack), by
your child every day throughout the year. This tag will assist drivers in identifying students who are required to be
met by a parent or guardian when they are getting off the bus. Tags will be distributed at the beginning of the school
year by your child’s school.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Will my child be assigned to a school bus?
Transportation is assigned according to Board policy. Your child must live within your school’s
attendance boundary and live further from school than the Maximum Walking Distance assigned
to your child’s grade level. Refer to STWDSTS Policy 002 Transportation Eligibility or go to
www.stwdsts.ca and click on the logo “Are you eligible”.
Can my child receive transportation from an alternate address?
Both your home address and the alternate/caregiver address must be within your school’s attendance boundary
and meet the distance criteria for transportation. Be sure to advise your school about alternate arrangements.
The alternate address must be used consistently, 5 days per week, and there must be room on the alternate bus.
Refer to Policy 034 - Transportation for Child Care
May a student temporarily ride another bus while parent(s) or guardian(s) are away?
All temporary transportation requests shall be refused, except under extraordinary circumstances where the personal wellbeing of a student is at stake. Refer to STWDSTS Policy 029 - Temporary Transportation Requests.
How does courtesy transportation get assigned?
Courtesy transportation is assigned based on the youngest of age (grade), then travel distance to school, using available
seats and existing stops. Courtesy assignments are not done prior to October 31st of each year. Refer to STWDSTS
Policy017 - Courtesy Transportation.
Can my child’s bus stop be changed?
Requests for changes to bus stops should be submitted in writing for consideration (Form TF033). Requests for changes
to accommodate parent/caregiver convenience or health issues will not be considered. No changes to bus stops are
considered during the first four weeks of school. All students are required to walk to/from their bus stops. Refer to
STWDSTS Policy 009 – Walking Distances to Bus Stop
Who is responsible for my child’s safety prior to boarding the bus and after disembarking from the bus?
The parent or guardian is responsible for their child’s safety prior to boarding the bus and after they disembark from the
bus. Refer to STWDSTS Policy 005 – Responsibilities of Parents and Guardians
66 Arrow Rd, Unit B • Guelph, ON N1K 1T4 • Phone (519) 824-4119 • Fax (519) 822-9097 • Toll-Free 1-888-292-2224
Eramosa Public School
September 2014
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
First Day of
School-
-Parent Council
forms due to
the Office
Welcome
Back!
7
14
21
28
8
-Forms Due:
*Food Program
*FOI
*Student
Information
9
15
16
-Milk Program
begins
-Hotdog Day
22
23
24
-Pita Day
-Terry Fox Run
“Toonie for
Terry”
29
10
11
12
13
17
18
19
20
-Open House &
Book Fair
5:30-7:00pm
-Pizza Day
25
26
-School Council
Meeting 7pm
30
-Hotdog Day
-Pizza Day
27