ERAMOSA PUBLIC SCHOOL
5757 Fifth Line
R.R. 1 h Rockwood, ON N0B
2K0
Telephone 519-856-9529 h Fax 519-856-4239
Website: www.ugdsb.on.ca/eramosa
h
NEWSLETTER
Katrina Plazek, Principal
April 2013 - Issue 8
6:30 in the school gym. We’ll have a
variety of board games, blocks, Lego, card
games, etc.
Contents:
Page 1:
Principal’s Message
Family Games Night
World Autism Day
Anaphalaxis Information
Page 2:
Gr. 1 Sugar Shack Trip
John Howard Society
Earthkeepers
Drumming Workshops
Core French Trip
Easter Food Drive
Ready, Set, Go Program
Page 3:
Spirit Day
EQAO Assessments
Vision Screening
Rocks and Rings
Dress for the Weather
April 22nd PD Day
Swim To Survive
Inserts:
2013 Summer Programs
Monthly Events Calendar
Autism Ontario Information
Health Unit Information
MISSION STATEMENT
“In a caring climate of
honesty, respect and
enthusiasm, Eramosa
Public School teaches and
facilitates the development
of independent thinking
and problem solving skills
to ensure that every student
reaches his/her potential to
be a responsible, flexible
and confident life long
learner.”
Martha Kucyla, Office Co-Ordinator
Spring is in the air and the first yellow crocus
have bloomed in front of the school. The
winter snow has been a great deal of fun for
the students as they constructed forts but we
Snacks will also be available. Students
are all ready for the warm breezes of spring.
will need to be accompanied by a
supervising adult. There is no admission
Our grade 6's travelled to Mansfield just
recently at the Outdoor Education Centre and cost and there are door prizes to be won!
the nature of how multi disciplinary living is,
became very apparent. The discrete lines of
subject matter became invisible. The settlers
game involved learning history and
cooperating with a partner so that the
students could increase their chances of
survival in a mock survival game. Students
were buying cows and barns and trying to
increase their family value and sometimes a
bumper crop was experienced and sometimes
a poor year hindered progress. Mathematics
was a must! Students learned how to build
shelters to protect themselves from the
elements so teamwork was a critical skill
needed to ensure the shelter was made in
time, and how an A-Frame works. Setting
up, cleaning tables and practicing their best
manners was evident during meal times. The
conservation of resources by eating the food
that was self selected and reducing waste was
practiced yet no-one was hungry. Physics
and science principles were at work when
entire teams balanced a log together acting in
unison. We would like to send out special
thanks to our parents, Mr. Lee and Mr.
Walker who helped make this trip possible!
FAMILY GAMES
NIGHT
Family Games Night will
take place this Thursday,
March 28th, starting at
WORLD
AUTISM
AWARENESS
DAY
On April 2nd, students and staff will be
wearing blue to help commemorate World
Autism Awareness Day. Please see the
enclosed media release.
ANAPHALAXIS AND
PRODUCTS THAT MIMIC
PEANUT BUTTER
Anaphalaxis 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 store 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
~Page 2~
Our grade 5's are off to Island Lake Outdoor Education
Centre where they will be learning many
allowed in classrooms. This is not because of a health
ecological principles to increase their
danger, but because it is confusing for students in the
knowledge of conservation,
class and for staff monitoring the room. We cannot find interconnectedness and ecology. The
ourselves in a situation where we have to decide whether students will be receiving a letter from
something is peanut butter or not. A simple note from
E.M. very soon to get them started on
parents is not sufficient.
their
We appreciate that it is difficult at times to find a variety
of items for student lunches, however,
we ask for your understanding and
adventure. We look forward to sharing more info with
support in this situation.
you next month!
GRADE 1 TRIP TO THE
SUGAR SHACK
DRUMMING WORKSHOP
On April 12, a local drum artist will come to Eramosa
On Monday, March 25 the grade 1's
Public School and lead all students in their classes in a
travelled to Island Lake Outdoor
drum circle using the djembes. Students in a circle will
Education Centre where they learned about how maple discover rhythm, learn about note values and use music
syrup is made. The students learned to distinguish maple to express themselves. It promises to be a great
trees from other trips, learned how many taps a tree
experience for all the students.
should have, tapped a tree and ate yummy maple syrup
taffee made on fresh snow ... a truly Canadian
experience. Thanks again to parent
CORE FRENCH FIELD TRIP
volunteers for joining us!
FOR JUNIOR STUDENTS
th
JOHN HOWARD SOCIETY ANTIBULLYING
PROGRAMS
The John Howard Society Bully Prevention Programs
will take place during the month of April. Please ask
your children what they are learning in these session that
will take place every Wednesday in April for grades 1-6.
The Power Within Program for grades 4-6 will focus on
bullying with emphasis on students taking responsibility
for their own actions and the actions of others,
cyberbullying and empathy skills. One by One We Get
Along is for the grades 1-3 students and will focus on
bullying, assertive skill development, talking
versus reporting and leaning to compromise.
EARTHKEEPERS PROGRAM
On April 24th the junior students will
travel to James McQueen PS in Fergus,
where they will enjoy an interactive french
language interactive play based on the familiar story
Little Red Riding Hood. We will look forward to
hearing all about it!
EASTER FOOD DRIVE
Many thanks to everyone who was able to contribute a
food item to our Easter Food Bank Drive. You have
helped to make Easter a very happy day for some of our
struggling families in the community. Happy Easter!
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER!
READY, SET, GO!
On Wednesday mornings
starting on Wednesday, April 17th from 9:30 - 10:30 am,
the Ontario Early Years staff from the East Wellington
Advisory Group will be running a pre-Kindergarten
early learning program in the library. This 10 week
program will help teach early learning skills and help
prepare our little ones for their first year of school in
Kindergarten. We look forward to welcoming our new
little learners to our school.
April weather can be very unpredictable and the
traditional “April Showers” can just as easily be “April
Snowflakes”! We have several recess breaks every day
and very rarely stay indoors because of inclement
weather. Please be sure that your child has appropriate
outdoor clothing at school every day to accommodate
these weather changes. We strongly encourage splash
pants at this time of year so students
can be comfortable in their classrooms with clean and
dry clothes after recesses.
~Page 3~
As the warmer weather arrives, please review our school
dress code with your children. Specific areas to note are:
•
girls’ shirt straps need to be a minimum of two
fingers in width
The EPSAC Reps are full of School Spirit. Our next
th
•
flip-flop
shoes are not appropriate
spirit Day will be on April 25 . The theme will “Disney
shorts need to be as long as a where fingertips
Characters”. Students can wear their Mickey Mouse T- •
reach in a standing position
Shirts, bring their Disney stuffies or
•
underwear (including bra straps) should not be
deck him/herself out with Disney
visible
jewellery.
SPIRIT DAY - APRIL 25TH
PRIMARY AND JUNIOR
EQAO ASSESSMENTS
APRIL 22nd PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT DAY
Monday, April 22nd will be a
Professional Activity Day for
teachers. The school will be
closed to students. On that day
staff will be completing our
annual School Effectiveness
Fram
ework
VISION SCREENING
surve
y to
asses
s
the
Thanks to our local Fergus Lions Club who
th
th
ess we
will be coming to our school on April 9 and 10 to do a progr
have
made
vision screening for our Kindergarten students. This
in
achiev
screening can sometimes make a huge difference to a
ing
the
child when vision difficulties are
goals that were set for this past school year. The
detected early on.
information we gather will become the starting point of
our 2013/2014 School.
Our grade 3 and 6 students will be writing the EQAO
assessments on May 29 - June 4th. Please
mark your calendars and avoid
appointments on these days.
ROCKS AND RINGS
SWIM TO SURVIVE™
Our Primary (K-3) students will be
th
curling in the gym on April 9 thanks
to the Rocks and Rings program that Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional
injury-related death after motor vehicle crashes for
is coming to our school.
people 55 years of age and under. The Lifesaving
Society’s research shows that most drownings occur
only 3 to 15 metres away from a point of safety such as a
pool edge, dock or shore. Knowing how to tread water
for a minimum of one minute and how to swim 50
metres to safety significantly increase the chances of
survival.
With this in mind, this May all grade 3 children at
Eramosa will be taking part in the Canadian Lifesaving
Society’s Swim to Survive program. This three-week
program teaches children some basic water safety skills
that are required to survive an unexpected fall into deep
water. We are grateful to The Lifesaving Society and
Centre Wellington Sportsplex for making this program
available to grade 3 students at no cost.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
KA DAY
6
April 2013
Calendar of Events
1
2
3
4
5
PIZZA DAY
Easter Monday
7
8
HOT DOG DAY
JOHN HOWARD
PRESENTATION
(#1 OF 4)
SUB DAY
9
9:00 AM - PRIMARY
CURLING
1:00 - GR 5
RESPECT
EDUCATION
10
11
JOHN HOWARD
PRESENTATION
(#2 OF 4)
7:00 PM - EPSAC
MEETING
KA DAY
12
1:00 - GR 5
RESPECT
EDUCATION
13
PIZZA DAY
ALL DAY MUSIC/JEMBE
DRUMMING
AM - GR. 3 & 4 RIVER
RUN TRIP
JK/SK VISION SCREENING - LIONS CLUB
14
15
16
17
SUB DAY
18
19
FUNSCRIP ORDERS
DUE
AM - GR 1 & 2
RIVER RUN TRIP
9:30-10:30
READY/SET/G0
PROGRAM
1:00 GR 1 & 3
RESPECT
EDUCATION
KB DAY
20
PIZZA DAY
JOHN HOWARD
PRESENTATION
(#3 OF 4)
GRADE
21
22
23
PD DAY
24
HOT DOG DAY
FUNSCRIP ORDERS
ARRIVE
5
EARTHKEEPERS
25
9:30-10:30
READY/SET/G0
PROGRAM
JOHN HOWARD
PRESENTATION
(#4 OF 4)
26
SPIRIT DAY DISNEY
CHARACTERS
KA DAY
27
PIZZA DAY
1:00 GR 1 & 3
RESPECT
EDUCATION
10:40 AM - FRENCH
TRIP - GR. 4-6 TO
JAMES MCQUEEN
PS
28
30
29
GREEN LEGACY
TRIP - JUNIOR
STUDENTS
SUB DAY
May
1
9:30-10:30
READY/SET/G0
PROGRAM
May
2
May 3
KB DAY
PIZZA DAY
May
4