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
April 2014 - Issue 8
Sheri MacKenzie,
Office Co- Ordinator
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK…
Spring is definitely on its way! Robins have been sighted, cars are muddier than ever, the days are
getting longer, the sun is winning the snow melting battle, and by the time this newsletter is
published, the last Arctic blast should hopefully be history. The grade 1’s have
visited the sugar bush and the Easter Bunny is going to be visiting many homes
in mid-April. In the front garden of the school the bulbs are sending up new
shoots and they herald the beginning of spring as well. Finally, for show and
tell Ainsley’s grandparents brought by a lamb that was bleating as loud as he
could while still standing up, Brock’s mom brought in a calf and Hunter’s dad
brought in a baby duckling and some little fluffball chicks for the students to
see. Welcome Spring!
On April 17th, the school council is holding a Family Games Night that will take place at the school
in the gym from 6-8 pm. There will be popcorn to munch on and it should be a fun evening. Come
out and play a game with your family. What a nice way to start the Easter weekend. Please join us
if you can!
Katrina Plazek
AUTHOR VISIT
On April 2nd, we have the pleasure of having Lisa Dalrymple come to our
school to share her books with us. She is the author of three children’s
books: “Skink on the Brink,” “Bubbly Troubly Polar Bear” and “If It’s No
Trouble … A Big Polar Bear”. Lisa will be doing three workshops: K-1, 2-3, 4-6.
Details will be posted on the library website:
https://sites.google.com/a/ugcloud.ca/eps-library/. A large thank-you goes out to parent council for
providing funding for this event! You can visit Lisa’s website at: http://lisadalrymple.com/about-lisa/
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS’ DAY
April 23rd is marked as the day to recognize our Office Co-ordinator, Sheri MacKenzie, for the
dedication and effort she puts into our school. From all of us here in the Eramosa Public School
Community, we would like to thank Ms. MacKenzie for everything she does with a positive attitude
and a smile on her face. Ms. MacKenzie helps every person in the school from putting on bandages,
ordering things for teachers, helping locate a lost lunch, making sure students are accounted for
with safe arrival, making sure sick students are cared for until someone from home can come to
the school; the list goes on and on. We are so glad to have you here at the school and we thank you
for everything you do for us!!!
GET YOUR YEARBOOKS!!!!
The creation of the yearbook is well underway! Order forms have been sent
home. We need to get an idea of how many yearbooks are sold so we know
how many pages we can add for the same cost to our families. Also, if you
have any pictures, it’s not too late to send them in to Mrs. McKnight on
a travel stick or CD. Please send in your order form and $20 by April 17th
if you would like to reserve a copy.
FARM TO TABLE EVENT – SATURDAY, MAY 31ST – MARK YOUR CALENDAR
On Saturday, May 31st, EPSAC will be running a Farm to Table event. A visit to
the Thatcher Farm and a culminating gustatory event held at the Everton
Culinary School, hosted by chef Dale McCarthy, are on the agenda. More details
to follow!!
EPSAC FAMILY GAMES NIGHT
EPSAC’s Family Games Night will take place on Thursday, April 17th from 6:00 –
8:00 pm in the school gym. We’ll have a variety of games to play. Snacks will
be available. Students need to be accompanied by a supervising adult. There
is no admission cost and there are door prizes to be won! Hope you can join us!
TRUNK SALE AND CLOTHING SWAP –
SATURDAY, JUNE 14TH, MARK YOUR CALENDAR
If you are spring cleaning and come across items to be put into a garage sale, don’t forget that you
can come to the EPSAC Trunk Sale and Clothing Swap on Saturday, June 14th, from 8:00 -11:00 am.
For a flat fee, you can open the trunk of your car and display your trunk sale treasures. Children’s
clothing can be donated to the clothing swap - final details to be determined, but plan to bring 'too
small' clothes to swap for 'just right' clothes!
All shoppers are welcome. Thanks for supporting this fundraising effort!
ANAPHALAXIS – KIWI AND NUT ALLERGIES
Anaphalaxis is an allergy to something that is potentially life threatening to an individual.
We have students who have life threatening kiwi and nut allergies in our school.
Recently there have been products available at the grocery stores that have been
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.
GRADE 1 TRIP TO THE SUGAR SHACK
On Tuesday, March 25th the grade 1's travelled to Island Lake Outdoor
Education Centre where they learned about how maple syrup is made. The
students learned to distinguish maple trees from other trees, how many taps a
tree should have, tapped a tree and ate yummy maple syrup taffy made on fresh
snow ... a truly Canadian experience. Thanks again to parent volunteers for
joining us!
PRIMARY AND JUNIOR EQAO ASSESSMENTS
Our grade 3 and 6 students will be writing the EQAO assessments on May 29th - June 4th. Please
mark your calendars and avoid appointments on these days, if your child in grade 3 or 6 is involved.
SPIRIT DAY - APRIL 17TH
The EPSAC Reps are full of School Spirit. Our next spirit Day will be on April 17th. The theme is
Twin Day. Find a friend and dress up like twins!
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER!
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. A spare set of clothes is a great idea as well!
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.
•
Flip-flop shoes are not appropriate.
•
Shorts need to be as long as where fingertips reach in a standing position.
•
Underwear, including bra straps, should not be visible.
SWIM TO SURVIVE™
•
Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related
death after motor vehicle crashes for 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 increases the
chances of survival.
•
With this in mind, on April 17th, April 24th, and May 1st 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.
SPECIAL EDUCATION SURVEY
Does your child have an IEP? If so the Upper Grand District School Board’s Special Education
Department would like your feedback about special education supports and services.
A survey for parents will be posted on the Upper Grand District School Board website from April
14th- April 30th. This survey is for parents who have children at the Upper Grand District School
Board with Individual Education Plans (IEPs). The information from the survey will be used to help
in the planning of special education supports and services.
Responses will be kept confidential and used in summary reports. Thank you for watching for this.
FROM THE PROGRAM DEPARTMENT...
MATH GAMES ARE FUN!
Dear Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and of course the dog and anyone else living at our house,
I heard about these fun math games to play at home. Do you think we could try them out? I think
math is really important and I just need some extra practice.
Guess My Number
Goal: Can you guess the number I’m holding?
One player takes two playing cards. The cards can be ordered any way.
Be sure no one else can see the cards!
All other players take turns guessing what the number is by asking math
questions.
"Is it even?" "Is it odd?" "Is it greater than 10?" "Is it a factor of 20?" and so on.
The payer holding the cards can only answer with a "Yes" or "No", until the actual number is
guessed.
Let’s Get Loonie
(Materials: 2 dice, coins- 8 pennies, 2 nickels, 4 dimes, 6 quarters and 1 loonie.)
Roll the two dice and add the two numbers together.
Take that amount of money from the centre.
(Try to always have the least number of coins in front of you at a time).
Object: to be the first player to get “Looney”.
On the Way Home from Soccer or Baseball
How many goals/runs were scored in the game?
How many more goals/runs did we need to get to make 10, 18, and 25?
How many players are on the team? If they each have one sibling how many
children would that be? What if half of them had 2 siblings? Now how many
children would that be?
It cost $50.00 to fill up the van with gas. How much would 5 tanks cost?
What about 8 tanks?
And for those nights that get rained out, how about some old favourites.
Puzzles, Pay Day, Monopoly, Rummoli, Phase 10 or Payday.
WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY – APRIL 2ND, 2014
The seventh annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2014. Every year autism organizations
around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness raising events. By
bringing together autism organizations all around the world, we will give a voice to the millions of
individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. Please join Upper
Grand District School Board in our effort to inspire compassion, empowerment and hope by
wearing BLUE on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014.
What Is Autism? What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
(copied from www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms
for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These
disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social
interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive
behaviors. With the May 2013 publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic
manual, all autism disorders were merged into one umbrella diagnosis of
ASD. Previously, they were recognized as distinct subtypes, including
autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive
developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and
Asperger syndrome.
ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention
and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD
excel in visual skills, music, math and art.
Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs
of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age.
Please visit the website to learn more.
PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS
Two for Two is What You Do!
Brushing your teeth two times a day for two minutes each time helps prevent cavities. If you don’t
have dental insurance and can’t afford care, we have free dental services for your children at
Public Health. At our dental clinics, we provide free cleanings for children. We can help children
with cavities and other urgent problems get the treatment they need. For more information about
our dental services, call our Dental Line at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661 or visit
www.wdgpublichealth.ca.
EARTH DAY 2014
Earth Day is just around the corner! April 22nd has been recognized as Earth Day since the early
1970’s and was originally created to highlight the need for all of us to be involved with
environmental protection.
Although many of our communities organize neighbourhood clean-ups and earth friendly activities
for us to participate in on Earth Day, more and more schools are trying to make the environment a
focus in the day to day lives of students and staff. One way is through the participation in Ontario
EcoSchools.
Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and certification program for
grades K-12 that helps school communities nurture environmentally responsible
citizens while reducing the environmental footprint of schools. Schools that have
opted to participate in this rigorous program create a “Green Team” consisting of
students and teachers. In some cases, parents, principals and custodians also
participate to create a team that truly reflects the entire school community. This Green Team
takes a leadership role in the school. Students are empowered to take a close look at how the
school is conserving energy, minimizing waste, greening up the school grounds, engaging in
environmental stewardship and environmental leadership. The purpose of this program is to engage
students throughout the year by having them collect data about their own school, create action
plans, educate others about how to make some change, and then follow up and report the results
back to the school community. The goal is to create environmentally conscious citizens who think
about their impact on the environment as they walk through their day to day life at school, at
home and in the community.
Whether your school is involved in EcoSchools or not, many schools are working with students to
actively engage them in things like litterless lunches, re-useable water bottle campaigns and
reducing landfill waste. Parents can help by supporting students in their participation in these
initiatives and by modeling environmentally conscious actions at home. Having conversations with
your children about your choices and actions are a great opportunity for them to understand how
important we are to the environment. By supporting our children to grow up green, we are helping
to create a more sustainable future.
For additional information about Ontario EcoSchools, please check out their website at:
http://www.ontarioecoschools.org/
by Connie Bender
Elementary Curriculum Leader
At Eramosa Public School, every day is earth day. To help highlight Earth Day 2014, we
encourage students to bring a litterless lunch or participate in a boomerang lunch. We will
have an earth hour from 9:00-10:00 in the morning where lights are
turned off in the entire school and students will bring in batteries
and pop tabs to be recycled. (We almost have a full pail of
batteries ready to send back for recycling!)
TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
Helping Your Family Deal with Stress and Anxiety
Everyone experiences stress during their daily lives and there are times in our lives when we feel
anxious. This is normal. It happens to all of us. However, some of us and some of our
children/youth are anxious more of the time and to a greater degree and this can be challenging
for the children, youth and their families.
The good news is that there a lot of positive things that you can do as parents to help reduce the
stress and anxiety that you and your child/youth feel. Here are some tips!
Listen: Take time to listen to your child/youth’s thoughts and feelings. Being heard is very
important and can make someone feel less distressed by talking about it.
Talk: Let your child/youth know that they are not alone. Lots of people feel stressed and anxious.
It is normal, harmless and temporary.
Share: You as a parent experience fear, stress and anxiety. Model how you cope with stressful
situations with positive coping strategies.
Support: Let your child/youth know that you care and support them as they struggle with stress
and anxiety.
Practice: Practice calming strategies with your child/youth when they are calm. Practice every day
so calming becomes a habit.
Encourage: When stress arises, encourage your child/youth to use their calming strategies. Praise
your child/youth for using their calming strategies.
Model: Be a good role model for your child/youth. Create a positive, predictable environment at
home. Use your own coping strategies. Allow your children to observe how you face and deal with
stress in a positive way. You are the single most important influence in your child’s life.
Here are a couple of calming techniques that you can practice with your child/youth:
Calm Breaths. When we are anxious we breathe faster, which actually makes us more anxious. By
calming our breath we are sending signals to our brains and bodies that things are going to be OK.
Take slow deep breaths.
Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
For younger children they can blow bubbles or pretend to.
For older children/youth, they can imagine breathing in calm and breathing out worries or tension.
Keep taking calm breaths until the breath is smooth, deep and calm.
Have the child/youth notice what it feels like to be calm.
Muscle relaxation. When we are anxious, our bodies become tense. By relaxing our bodies, we are
sending signals to our bodies and our brains that it is going to be OK.
Sit or lie down.
Tighten up one part of your body (e.g. your legs).
Hold the tension for 10 seconds.
Relax your body.
Allow the tension and tightness to drain away.
Repeat tightening and releasing different parts of the body.
Tighten your whole body, hold for 10 seconds then release.
Lie or sit for a moment allowing your body to be totally relaxed.
Have your child/youth notice what it feels like when their body is relaxed.
Hope these tips are helpful. The best thing that you can do is practice relaxation techniques every
day with your family to build coping skills and to have calmer, happier children, youth and families.
Enjoy!
For more information:
http://anxietybc.com/parent/index.php
http://www.mindyourmind.ca/wellness
For children and youth:
KidsHelpPhone.ca 1 800 668 6868
24 hour phone line and website for children and youth.
If you are concerned that your child/youth is experiencing excessive anxiety, you can talk with
your school or community mental health provider:
CMHA WWD: 1 844 HERE 24 7 (1 844 437 3247) - For Guelph/Wellington Children and Youth
Services and Guelph/Welllington/Dufferin Adult Services
DCAFS: 519-941-1530 for Dufferin Children and Youth Services
May 4-11, 2014 is Child and Youth Mental Health Week. Next time I will share some information
and activities that are coming to your schools and communities.
- Dr. Lynn Woodford, Psychologist, is the Mental Health and Addiction Lead for the Upper
Grand District School Board.
TOWNSHIP OF GUELPH/ERAMOSA
FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE AND
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION DAY
Saturday, May 3, 2014
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Barbeque from 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Rockwood Fire Hall
5141 Wellington Road 27
BBQ and DRAW
The Township of Guelph/Eramosa Fire Department, along with their Emergency
Response Partners, is hosting an Open House and Information Day. This event is being
held in conjunction with National Emergency Preparedness Week which runs from May
4 - 10, 2014. Fire and Emergency Services serving the Township of Guelph/Eramosa
and Wellington County will be at this event to present an exciting and informative day
for the community.
*
*
*
*
Do you know what your community risks are?
What would you do if a tornado struck your house?
Are you prepared for power outages?
Do you have enough of the right supplies in your home to be self sufficient for 3
days?
Come out and meet your local firefighters and their response partners. Watch an auto
extrication event and practice with the fire extinguisher simulator. Take a walk
through the Fire Safety Trailer and then enjoy a barbeque lunch with Sparky. Be sure
to enter the draw for an exciting prize.
Also, the Township will be holding its 2014 Green Tree Legacy distribution day. Nonperishable food donation items will be accepted on behalf of East Wellington
Community Services.
John Osborne, Fire Chief
Richard Renaud, Deputy Fire Chief
Fire and Emergency Services
Township of Guelph/Eramosa
CAR SEAT WORKSHOPS
Thursday April 17th, 2014
Bring along all of your Car Seat questions and meet an O.P.P. Car Seat Inspector. Receive free
advice on all three stages of car seats: Rear, Forward and Booster. Local Car Seat clinic
information and Car Seat materials will be available.
Locations:
North Wellington OPP (Teviotdale Boardroom) 9:00am-10:00am April 17th Centre
Wellington OPP (Fergus Boardroom) 11:30am-12:30pm April 17th South Wellington OPP
(Rockwood Boardroom) 2:00pm-3:00pm April 17th
*Workshops are free. Drop in anytime during the event, but Pre-Registration is required. Please
call: 519-856-1506 South Wellington (Rockwood) OPP to Register.**
Eramosa Public School
April 2014
Sunday
Monday
Character Ed
Theme- Local
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
2
-Author Visit
Lisa Dalrymple
-World Autism
Day-wear Blue
in support
-KA Vision
Screening
3
-Skills Canada
Centennial
Arena
4
9
10
-EPSAC Mtg
7pm (Library)
and Global
Citizenship
6
Tuesday
-Hotdog Day
8
7
Saturday
KA
5
KB
12
-Pizza Day
-KB Vision
Screening
11
-Assembly
2:35pm
-Pita Day
-Pizza Day
13
14
15
16
-Pita Day
20
EASTER
SUN DAY
21
EASTER
MONDAY
NO SCHOOL
FOR
STUDENTS
27
28
-Hotdog Day
22
-Earth Day
23
-Hotdog Day
29
30
17-EPSAC
Games Night
6-8pm
-Gr 3 Swim
to Survive
-Pizza Day
-Yearbook
Orders Due
-Twin Day
18
24
25
-Gr 3 Swim to
Survive
-Pizza Day
19
GOOD FRIDAY
NO SCHOOL
FOR
STUDENTS
KA
26