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
November 2013 - Issue 3
Sheri MacKenzie,
Office Co- Ordinator
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK…
Thank you to the many families who came out to support the EPSAC Halloween Dance that took
place on Thursday, October 24th. Parents and children enjoyed dressing up in their costumes and
dancing the night away to the tunes. The children enjoyed building a class scarecrow and after
voting was done at the dance, it was decided that Mrs. Semanyk’s class was the grand prize winner.
The students in Mrs. Semanyk’s class will enjoy a classroom treat to celebrate. The night would not
be possible without the combined efforts of many people decorating the gym, purchasing and
selling treats, coordinating the children’s scarecrow building, decorating, etc. Thank you for
helping making memories for the kids.
This month we will remember our men and women war veterans who have fought for our freedom in
years past. The atrocities of war are something we never want our children to experience, so we
continue to help our children remember the stories “Lest We Forget.” Please join us at our school
assembly if you can on November 11th starting at 10:30 am to help us help our children remember.
PROGRESS REPORTS AND INTERVIEWS
Progress Reports will be sent home on November 14th. Interviews with teachers
can be scheduled on the evening of Thursday, November 21st from 4:00 pm-8:00 pm
or on the PA Day November 22nd between 9:00 am-3:30 pm. Please contact the
office to schedule your appointment.
**BUS DELAY AND CANCELLATION SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE**
If you would like to receive an immediate email notification about when your child’s bus has been
cancelled or delayed, go to the following website and register. To subscribe, follow the directions
at https://www.findmyschool.ca/subscriptions/login.aspx.
If you have trouble registering please call 519-824-4119.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Thank you for keeping all contact information, including work numbers and
emergency contacts, up to date. If you’re not available during the day, please
make sure that the person you name as the emergency contact is usually home.
When there is an emergency or students are sick, they need to go somewhere
they can be comfortable, rest and not pass on their illness to classmates.
PARKING LOT SAFETY
Our parking lot is a busy traffic zone every morning. As our buses arrive, Eramosa children
disembark and are directed to the play area. At the same time, students in grades 7 to 12
transfer from one bus to another. We have routines in place that depend upon your participation
to ensure the safety of all students at this busy time.
If you choose to drive your child(ren) please:
•
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Park along the west or south side of the parking lot (the edges with the bike rack or
dumpster).
Walk with your child(ren) around the perimeter of the lot (not across the middle) to the
area in front of the school where bus students leave their backpacks.
Please do not drop off your child(ren) in the centre of the parking lot or have them walk
unescorted through the lot.
Please reserve the handicapped spot for people who require this designated location.
When exiting the parking lot, please yield to our school buses. They require a large area for
turning.
The best time to drop off your child(ren) is after 8:30 am, at which time most of
our buses are gone and the lot is more open.
Please help us protect our environment by turning off your car engine in our
parking lot and not idling while you wait.
Thank you for your understanding as we work together for the safety of all.
SCHOOL ONLINE CLIMATE SURVEY
Help us make our school safer and more inclusive for everyone!
Parents are encouraged to fill in our voluntary school climate survey by the middle of November.
Our students in grades 4 to 6 will be taking the survey on November 8th. The information we
collect will help us find out how safe our children feel at school, develop
programs to prevent bullying and promote safe and inclusive schools, and
decide if our current programs are working. We’ll use the results to
make our school better than ever. All our staff will be asked to take
the survey too.
This is easy!
• Go to http://edu-climate-surveys.ca/
• Choose a language by clicking either the “English” or “Français” button.
• Enter our school’s survey code (8-SRR-987-T) and click the “Submit Code” button.
• Follow the instructions on the survey.
Remember – this is our school. Let’s make it safe and inclusive for everyone. Please fill in your
survey by the end of November. If you want the survey in another language, ask us for a copy. If
you have any questions, contact the school. Thanks for your help.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Please join us on November 11th, 2013 at 10:30 am for our Remembrance Day
Assembly. The Royal Canadian Legion has once again provided poppies for the
students to wear at our assembly. Please feel free to send in a donation on
November 11th. Our Canadian men and women fought and died so we could live in
freedom. We will always be grateful for their sacrifice.
Emergency Shelter
In the event of an emergency that requires a full school evacuation such as a fire, the emergency
evacuation location will be at the Thatcher Farm, just south of the school. Thank you to the family
for their contribution to the safety of our students.
Food Bank Collection
Thanks is extended to all families who were able to donate a food item(s) to
the East Wellington Community Services. Together we donated 150 pounds
of food to families in need.
Antibullying Week
The Upper Grand District School Board has designated November 18th - 22nd as our board’s Bully
Prevention Week. During this week the students will be involved in many school activities designed
to teach students about what bullying is, how to identify and report it and where to get help.
Fire Department Visit
On Monday, October 21st, Captain “Bernie” and his crew of Firefighters came to our school with
their teaching van and a fire truck to teach the students about fire safety. Several important
concepts were covered including the concept of “Stay Out and Keep Out”, knowing your home
address if you need to call 911, keeping safe in the kitchen, testing the door and door handle for
heat before opening, reviewing the fire safety plan at home and having a meeting place outside.
The Guelph/Eramosa Firefighters have asked all families to test their smoke detectors (one on
each level in the house) by “Pushing the Button”, and replacing the batteries on a regular basis. We
are thankful to our Fire Department for taking the time to teach our children important safety
concepts.
CHARACTER ED THEME- PEACE
In our Awards Assemblies presented by the teacher, the assembly focuses on a particular theme.
In October the theme was Sharing Our Lives. A story read to the children emphasized that
families come in all shapes and sizes (2 parents, 1 parent, living together or apart, having stepsiblings etc). This month the focus is on “Peace.” It is an appropriate tool that reflects
Remembrance Day, Anti-Bullying Week and the Climate Survey.
MEDICATION AT SCHOOL
This is a reminder that any medication that is administered at school (epipens, puffers, Tylenol,
Advil, antihistamine, etc.) must be stored at the office and a Consent for
Oral Administration form must accompany the medication. Prescription
medication must have the name of the child on it and come in the original
container for storage in the office. This safety measure is in place to
ensure that all of our students are safe. Please call the office if your
child needs medication because of illness or if you have any questions.
ONTARIO PHYSICAL EDUCATION SAFETY GUIDELINES
The Ministry of Education is committed to working with all members of the education sector,
including parents, to help ensure that all children and youth in Ontario are able to succeed and lead
safe, healthy, productive lives. The Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines (OSG) are now
available to teachers, coaches and parents, free of charge. Please visit the website at:
http://safety.ophea.net for more information.
HEAD LICE
The health unit has additional information for you to refer to on their website
http://www.wdgpublichealth.ca. Frequent checks at home are recommended. If your children
develop lice, please let us know so that we can send home a notification to all students in the class.
This diligence will help to stop the spread of this pesky critter.
SOCIAL JUSTICE CLUB
On November 20th, Mrs. Demysh and Mrs. Hamilton will be accompanying members of the social
justice club to a WE day student pep rally featuring speakers and performers in Kitchener. This
club is composed of junior students who are interested in becoming active global citizens. They
will learn about social issues and become involved in projects that turn their inspiration into local
and global action. Stay tuned for more information!
LAMONTAGNE DELIVERY
Thank you for supporting our school fundraiser. Lamontagne orders will arrive before the end of
November.
CALLING ALL PHOTOS!!
If you have pictures from any school event in September or October, please
send then into the school on a travel stick! Mrs. McKnight is starting to work on
the yearbook. She would like to start organizing and downloading pictures now
instead of May! Pictures from Cross country, Terry Fox, Halloween dance,
soccer tournament, etc... Thanks for your help!
HEAD INJURIES
Head injuries can take place at any time of the year. If any of the following symptoms occur, a
physician/medical attention should be consulted immediately:
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Abnormal drowsiness
Persisting vomiting or nausea
Confusion as to time, place or name
Severe headaches
Abnormal twitching of limbs
Squinting, crossed eyes, double vision
Dripping of fluid from nose or ears
Weakness of an arm or dragging of a foot or leg
TIME2READ
On Tuesday evenings, several parents have returned to school with their
Kindergarten or Grade 1 child to learn more about how to improve the
comprehension and engagement of their child during story reading time. Skills
have been demonstrated by Ms. Ogryzlo and practiced with the children on site.
Thanks also to Sara Slater and Tyson Demysh for organizing the childrens’
activities and crafts. Special thanks to all the parents who came out to
participate!
SAVE THE DATE!
EPSAC Breakfast with Santa and Poinsettia fundraiser pickup will be December 7th. More details
to follow.
ANNUAL ERAMOSA FALL SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Eramosa PS hosted our annual Fall Soccer Tournament on Friday, October 18th.
The fields were wet but the rain held off for a day of fun, fitness, friendship and soccer
fundamentals.
Schools from Erin, Brisbane and Hillsburgh attend our annual event each year. We were fortunate
again this year to have two excellent student referees from John F. Ross and our own grade 5
students as linesmen. This year Brisbane was a finely tuned team and won the overall tournament,
with Eramosa coming second. The Hillsburgh team built considerable momentum throughout the
day and came from behind to win the B division. Congratulations to the Eramosa
players for your good sportsmanship and fine showing in this tournament. Many
thanks to Mrs. Semanyk for coaching the team, to Mrs. Gordon for filling in and to
Mrs. Bartlett, Mrs. Gordon, Mrs. Plazek, and Mrs. Mackenzie for your assistance
with the hot chocolate and hot dog sales.
Bev McMorris (Convenor)
ERAMOSA EAGLES CROSS COUNTRY
The Eramosa Eagles dominated the Centre Wellington Family of Schools cross-country meet with
their outstanding spirit and dominance on the field.
Fifty-three runners from grades 1-6 participated in the event on
October 15th. We are very proud of the students for their dedication to
attend all practices, determination to build endurance and their effort to
run their personal best race. We had many finishes in the top 20 but all
runners performed a personal best race. Thank you to the grade 5 and 6
volunteers who helped out with attendance and leading warm ups and to
parent volunteers for your help on the day of the race. We could not
attend this event without your help. WAY TO GO EAGLES!
Bev McMorris and Nicole Hamilton (coaches)
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS!
Sunday, November3rd – Turn your clock back 1 hour at 2:00 am.
PARENT TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP
Ms Ogryzlo will be offering a parent technology workshop on the November 22nd Parent Teacher
interview PA day from 2:45 pm-3:30pm. The focus will be using technology to connect to your
child's learning in the classroom. Twitter, Class Websites, and RAZ kids will be discussed. All
parents are welcome from all grades. Please go to www.epskinders.weebly.com to sign up!
ON-LINE BULLY REPORTING TOOL
Stop a Bully!
Did you know that in the majority of cases, bullying stops within 10 seconds when peers intervene
or don’t support the bullying behavior?
The Upper Grand District School Board takes all incidents of bullying seriously. That’s why we
developed an online bullying reporting tool. Stop a Bully gives students and parents 24/7 access
for reporting bullying. You don’t have to identify yourself – just your school – and your message
gets sent directly to your school principal for follow-up. We will follow up on your report.
You’ll find the Stop a Bully button on our school’s website and the board’s website
(www.udsb.opn.ca/stop-a-bully).
If your child is the victim of bullying or sees bullying behavior at school, please encourage him/her
to speak with someone at school or use the Stop a Bully tool. For more information, contact the
school.
FROM THE PROGRAM DEPARTMENT
A Parent’s How-To Guide for Helping Your Child in Math
Math education looks different than it did even ten years ago. Employers today cite that the
essential 21st century skills of problem solving, collaboration, logical reasoning and the ability to
think critically are the most important ‘look-fors’ when
interviewing candidates. In schools today, students are asked to
solve challenging mathematical problems that put more importance
on conceptual knowledge instead of procedural knowledge. This
leaves parents sometimes at a loss about their role and how to
best support their child. As a parent, you are an invaluable partner
in your child’s mathematics education; you are the first educator in
your child’s life. Research shows that when there is a high level of
family involvement, students do better in school. Below are some
tips to support your role as a mathematics parent.
Tips for Parents:
(adapted from Doing Mathematics with Your Child - A Parent’s Guide
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNum2012.pdf)
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find real-life experiences that encourage and engage your child to think and talk about
mathematics (shopping, sorting, construction, managing time and money, understand patterns
and trends, make predictions based on patterns, analyze data)
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encourage and provide manipulatives to explore mathematical concepts (toothpicks, popsicle
sticks, money, chocolate chips, etc…)
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be mindful of your attitude towards mathematics; strong, positive attitudes about math
increase a child’s ability to feel successful and to persevere with challenging math tasks
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encourage risk taking
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provide a supportive, relaxing environment
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build your child’s confidence by engaging them in math
activities that will allow them to feel successful
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engage in math activities or math talk in the language you are
most comfortable with
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a math problem is not necessarily a word problem; don’t allow language to be the barrier to
the mathematical concept presented
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build on memorization of math facts by ensuring the understanding of the concept (What
does multiplication/division mean? When would we use it? Why would we use it? How did you
figure out that fact? How can you use one fact to help you figure out another?)
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familiarize yourself with the Ontario Math Curriculum
(http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/math18curr.pdf) in order to
understand what your child is learning and what is expected of him/her
Resources:
Homework Help (Gr. 7-10)
https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org
Math Activity Sites
*there are many more sites in the Doing Mathematics with Your Child - A Parent’s Guide
referenced above
http://www.mathstories.com
http://www.hoodamath.com/games/
http://www.mathplayground.com
http://www.funbrain.com/teachers/subj_math.html
http://www.aplusmath.com
http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/main.shtml
DEFINING BULLYING
All children are the victims of occasional teasing behavior or aggression, but some children are
repeatedly targeted. True bullying is repeated exposure over time to negative actions. Bullying
means there is an imbalance of power so that the child being victimized has trouble defending
himself or herself. Bullying is aggression. It can take many forms, including physical, verbal, or
psychological. Bullying is when one person use power in a willful manner with the aim of hurting
another individual repeatedly.
Normal Peer Conflict- what Bullying Is Not
Conflict is an inevitable part of interaction. As children learn the give and take of friendship, of
group cooperations, and of social interaction, conflict naturally occurs. Social skills are
developmental. Children gain greater capacity for empathy, for compromise, and for kindness to
others as they mature cognitively and emotionally. Children in the early elementary years
(grades K-2)do not always think of others. Their goal in both friendship and play is egocentric,
or self-contered. They pick playmates in order to have a good time and to maximize their own
excitement. They believe that a good friend is one who will do what they want. A common
response to frustrations is one of rejecting the other child. A first grader might say, for example,
“If you won’t play house with me, I won’t invite you to my birthday party.”
By the middle elementary grades, children gradually begin to understand friendship and play as a
process that involves fun for all participants. Games with rules begin, recess time is spent with
others who enjoy the same interests and activities, and sharing is seen. Still, children of thei sage
do not fully understand or engage in mutuality or comporomise. Play is fun when everyone gets
their needs met, but conflict erupts when access to things or frustration of needs occurs. The
capacity to listen to and understand another person’s point of view is still not fully developed and
only the most mature of children will emoloy compromise to solve problems during grade 2-4.
TABLE 1 Recognizing the Difference
Normal Peer Conflict
Bullying
Equal power or friends
Imbalance of power; not friends
Happens occasionally
Repeated negative actions
Accidental
Purposeful
Not serious
Serious with threat of physical or
emotional harm
Equal emotional reaction
Strong emotional reaction from victim
and little or no emotional-reaction from
bully
Not seeking power or attention
Seeking power, control, or material
things
Not trying to get something
Attempt to gain material things or
power
Remorse- will take responsibility
No remorse-blames victim
Effort to solve the problem
No effort to solve problem
Especially other children who empower them and are empowered by their
association with the bully.
Bullies are best identified by their personality style rather than by outward
manifestations based on appearance, number of friends, or achievement:
• A bully is a child who values the rewards that aggression can bring.
• A bully is a child who lacks empathy for his or her victim and has
difficulty feeling compassion.
• A bully tends to lack guilt. He or she fully believes that the victim provoked the
attack and deserved the consequences.
• A bully likes to be in charge, to dominate, and to assert with power. A bully likes
to win in all situations.
• A bully’s parent(s) (or other significant role model) often model aggression.
•
A bully thinks in unrealistic ways (e.g. “I should always get what I want.”).
BOUNDARY REVIEW PUBLIC MEETING ON NOVEMBER 21st
The New Rockwood Elementary School Boundary Review was launched in September with two key
goals:
1) create a viable boundary for a new Rockwood elementary school, and
2) establish a school location and boundary for a proposed French Immersion program in
Rockwood.
Existing schools potentially affected by the review are Rockwood Centennial PS, Eramosa PS and
Brisbane PS.
The boundary review’s Report #2 will be posted online on Friday, November 8th at
www.ugdsb.on.ca/rbr. Parents and community members are invited to attend a Public Information
Session in the gymnasium at Rockwood Centennial PS on November 21st, 2013 from 7:00 pm9:00 pm. There will be a presentation by school board officials, a question and answer period,
displays of data and maps, and an opportunity to provide feedback through comment sheets.
To stay informed please visit the boundary review’s web page, where you can sign up to receive
email notifications of significant updates. You can also submit feedback using an online form
(available until December 18th), and learn about the procedure for delegating in person at regular
and standing committee meetings of the board. If you do not have internet access any document
related to the review can be obtained at our school office.
PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS- NOVEMBER 2013
Get Your Flu Shot
The flu is a respiratory illness that spreads quickly from person to person. Common flu symptoms
include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain, joint pain, and weakness.
The flu is more serious for the very young and elderly. They can get the flu from school-aged
children who don’t seem sick but may have a mild case. Get your free flu shot. It protects
everyone. Visit www.wdgpublichealth.ca to find a flu clinic near you.
If you don’t like needles, there is an alternative. FluMist is a nasal spray available for children and
adults ages 2 to 59. FluMist is not available at drop-in clinics. Call 1-800-265-7293 to make an
appointment. There is a cost of $20 for the nasal spray vaccine.
HEALTHY LUNCHES
Preparing lunches day after day can be a challenge!
Make sure you pack lunches that have all four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide:
Include at least:
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One fruit or vegetable
One serving of milk or milk products (like cheese or yogurt)
One meat or alternative (like sunflower seeds or hard- boiled eggs)
One whole-grain item
Here are resources to help you:
Canada’s Food Guide, available from your school nurse or www.wdgpublichealth.ca.
Healthy eating on a budget- visit www.mhp.gov.on.ca/en/healthy-ontario/healthyeating/eathealthy-budget.asp
Healthy eating resources at www.eatrightontario.ca
When we improve what we eat, we can make a big difference to our health and well-being for years
to come.
FREE Teeth Cleaning
For children and youth up to and including age 17 who
cannot afford dental care and have no dental insurance
Help prevent cavities and
keep gums healthy. Our
services include cleaning,
fluoride, sealants, and
brushing/flossing
instruction.
Erin Community Centre
• Monday, December 9, 2013
• Tuesday, December 10, 2013
• Wednesday, December 11, 2013
To book an appointment call the Dental Intake Line:
1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661
Eramosa Public School
November 2013
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
November
Character Ed
theme:
Peace
3
Daylight
Savings Time
ends
4
*Dental
Screening
KA/ Gr 2
Saturday
1
*Pizza Day
2
6
*Time2Read
5:30-7:00pm
7
8
*Assembly
*Climate Survey
for Students
*Pizza Day
9
13
14
*Progress
Reports go
home
*Time2Read
5:30-7:00pm
15
*Pizza Day
16
*Dental
Screening KB
Turn your
clocks back 1
hour
10
5
*Pita Day
Friday
11
*Remembrance
Day Assembly
10:30 am
12
*EPSAC Mtg
7pm (Library)
*Hot Dog Day
*Climate Survey
for Parents
17
18
*Comfy Cozy
Spirit Day
19
*Steven Lister
Anti-Bullying
Presentation
*Hotdog Day
20
*Me to We Day
(Kitchener)
21 *Interviews
4pm-8pm
*Assembly 2:35
*Pizza
Day
*Wear Pink Day
22
*P.A. Day
(No school for
students)
*ParentTeacher
Interviews
9am – 3:30pm
23
28
*River Run
Centre Gr 3 &
Gr 4
29
*Photo Retakes
30
Bully Prevention Week
24
25
*Pita Day
26
27
*Pizza Day