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
March 2014 - Issue 7
Sheri MacKenzie,
Office Co- Ordinator
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK…
As we head into March, we are all very hopeful for warmer temperatures and spring weather. It
has been a long, cold winter! Hopefully after the March, break spring will be on its way! February
has been a busy month. Our junior volleyball team came in second at the tournament, our school
has gone on one of our skating afternoons, report cards have gone home, the Humane Society
visited and taught children about humane values, the dairy educator visited, the
children cheered on for Canada as the winter Olympics unfolded in Sochi,
parents came to listen to an Antibullying evening with Stephen Lister, the grade
6s finished fundraising for camp, and the Parent Council finished the Elmira
Poultry fundraiser and ran a fantastic pasta dinner and silent auction. Thanks
to the community for supporting it by donating time and food, cooking, eating,
shopping and having fun. Wishing all of you a wonderful March break!
NEW PADDED BENCH
The staff and students at Eramosa are very grateful to the parents and children who participated
in the Thanks4Giving Sale in Everton last Thanksgiving weekend. The group has
purchased a soft padded bench which we have put in the office, where students
who are ill and waiting for pick up, or who scrape their knee and need a little
time to calm themselves, can sit and be monitored. When you are feeling sick it
is nice to have a soft spot to rest and we hope you know that you have made a
difference to the children at the school. Thank you!
SKATING
On Friday, February 28th, the entire student body was skating at the Centre
Wellington Community Sportsplex and a great time was had by all. Thank you
to all the parents who came to help supervise, do up skates and put mitts on.
We couldn’t do it without you!
JUNIOR VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT AT ERIN PS
The junior volleyball team practiced their hardest and they came in second
at the tournament on February 20th. Way to go Eramosa Eagles!
FOREST OF READING
The Forest of Reading program is in full swing here at Eramosa PS. Primary students are enjoying
the Blue Spruce books as part of their library time. The students have been expressing their
feelings towards the books read aloud by using a 5 point scale. (5= Best book ever! I want a copy
of my own. 3= Enjoyed listening to the story. 1= Not a favourite!)
Silver Birch is a voluntary program for students in grades 3-6. These
students choose 5 stories to read from one of the following categories:
Silver Birch Fiction or Silver Birch Express. Once they have completed
reading a story, the students complete an online survey found on Mrs.
Hamilton’s library webpage under Forest of Reading. The completed survey
gives confirmation that the student has completed reading 5 stories! At the Forest of Reading
site designed for Eramosa students, participants can choose to blog or share a comment about one
of the books they’ve read. There is also a tracking sheet for students to download for their
personal use. Students who are participating in the program and finish reading 5 books will be
invited to a celebration in the library during lunch time to vote on their favourite book! Date to be
determined. Mrs. Cyr has kindly volunteered to assist with the program this year. Thank-you to
all the parents, students and staff members that make this program a success!
The EPS Library Website can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/a/ugcloud.ca/eps-library/
Mrs. Hamilton
NEW BUS DRIVERS
We have two new bus drivers to the Eramosa routes; Andy Verzyl, bus
200, and Deb Ash, bus 371. Welcome!
EPSAC NEWS
Save the Date for EPSAC’s Annual Family Games Night!
Thursday, April 17th, 2014 in the Gym
6:00 – 8:00 pm
This evening is free and juice and popcorn will be provided. There
will also be awesome door prizes! This is a great way to spend
some quality time with your family while discovering new games &
new friends. Look for an invitation coming home in your child(ren)’s
agenda after the March break.
Hope to see you there!
EPSAC NEWS (CONTINUED)…
Well our Pasta Night and Silent Auction held at the school on the 13th of February was a great
success! With your help we raised over $2,400 for the school. These funds, along with the funds
previously fundraised, mean that we will be able to meet our fundraising goals for the year! That’s
right, no more fundraising! Unless you count the “mostly for fun” baseball game, Trunk Sale and
Clothing Exchange, and a few others to be determined. New ideas are welcome!
Many thanks go out to all the volunteers and helpers who helped make the Pasta Night a success!
Donations, sauces and salads poured in for the Silent Auction and Penny Table Draw! Thank you to
all the Eramosa families and relatives, local businesses and “Anonymous” contributors who made our
evening a success. A special thank-you goes to Dale McCarthy for cooking the pasta.
Here is an approximate breakdown of our year’s fundraising efforts:
Halloween Dance
Poinsettia Sales
Breakfast with Santa
Elmira Poultry
Silent Auction and Pasta Night
Ham Raffle
Total (approx.)
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
770.00
1,100.00
380.00
1,500.00
2,400.00
127.00
6,277.00
Our fundraising allows the school to offer or participate in many additional activities which would
be otherwise unavailable. Your council, with input from the school, has provided funds towards the
following:
Red Reading Cart
Forest of Reading Books
Musician Visit
Student Agendas (for 2014/15)
Author Visits
Scientists in Schools
Teacher Supplements
Track and Field Ribbons
Grade 6 Plaques
Character Education
Total
$
500.00
$
700.00
$
500.00
$ 1,000.00
$
500.00
$ 1,260.00
$
770.00
$
150.00
$
500.00
$
500.00
$ 6,380.00
You may notice that we are a little short from our annual goals, but the Trunk Sale should make up
for the rest! Give yourselves a pat on the back and relax. You’ve earned it!
Chris Williston
EPSAC Chair
chriswilliston@hotmail.com
WINTER CARNIVAL
Children will participate in outdoor winter activities from
1:00 pm - 3:15 pm on Thursday, March 6th. Please ensure children are
dressed appropriately for the weather. For example: warm coat,
snow pants, boots, hat, an extra pair of dry mittens, a double layer of
socks etc. If we decide the weather is too extreme to run an outdoor
carnival, a modified indoor event will be held.
-Mrs. Cyr and Mrs. Shaw
BUS SAFETY REMINDERS
Parking Lot Safety
Our parking lot is a busy traffic zone before and after school. In addition to our
Eramosa children coming to and from school, our parking lot is a transfer point for
students from four other schools.
We have routines in place that depend upon your participation to ensure the safety
of all students at these busy times.
If you choose to drive your child(ren), please:
•
Park along the west or south side of the parking lot (the edges with the bike rack or
dumpster).
•
Walk with your child 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 of any age in the centre of the parking lot or have them
walk unescorted through the lot.
•
Please reserve the handicapped spot (to the right of our walkway) for people who require
this designated location.
•
When entering and exiting the parking lot, please yield to our school buses. They require a
large area for turning and backing into their designated spots. If you are picking up your
child after school, please arrive at 3:25 so the parking lot can be available to our buses when
they start to arrive at 3:40.
The best time to drop off your child(ren) in the morning is after 8:30, at which time most of our
buses are here and the lot is more open.
Thank you for your understanding as we work together for the safety of all.
Bus Delays, Cancellations and InformationParents can access information about specific routes and delays at http://www.stwdsts.ca.
Parents are able sign up for email alerts regarding bus cancellations or delays.
Please note that bus drivers and school staff are not authorized to approve any temporary or
permanent changes to children’s bus routes. For the safety of all, any questions or requests of
this nature need to be directed to Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Services at
519-824-4119.
School Buses on the Road
Whether on a city street, highway or county road, and regardless of the speed limit and the
number of lanes, motorists travelling in both directions must stop when approaching a stopped
school bus with its upper red lights flashing. A flashing stop arm will swing out while passengers
are boarding or leaving the bus. (The only exception is on highways separated by a median, in which
case traffic coming from the opposite direction is not required to stop). Once all passengers have
boarded, the STOP arm will fold away. Do not start
moving until the red lights have stopped flashing and the
bus begins to move.
The penalty for not stopping is significant:
First offence: $400 to $2,000 and six demerit points.
Each subsequent offence: $1,000 to $4,000, six demerit
points and possible jail time up to six months.
Thank you for keeping student safety as your first
priority when you see a school bus on the road.
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION POLICY AND PROGRAMS
The Upper Grand District School Board places a high priority on the safety of our students. The
Child Abuse Prevention Policy is evidence of our commitment to this priority. The following is a
quote from this policy:
“Every citizen in the community shares a responsibility for our children. School officials and
teachers share this collective community responsibility for creating safe and nurturing
environments for children. Under the Child and Family Services Act, this responsibility includes
the legal requirement to report to the local Children’s Aid Society any suspected child abuse or
other situations where a child may be in need of protection. Teachers and other Board employees
have a special opportunity to know and understand children during their most influential years of
development. They are in a unique position to be able to see early signs of maltreatment, and to
know or hear about the abuse and neglect that is often suffered by children.”
As required in the Policy, we will be teaching age-appropriate lessons to help our students identify
abuse and protect themselves from abusive situations. The goal is to provide children with the
tools they need to keep themselves safe. The lessons cover a broad range of safety issues
including bullying, stranger danger and abuse by a known and trusted adult.
During the month of April students in grades one and three participate in lessons from the Red
Cross C.A.R.E kit and grade five students will be taught the “Touching” Child Abuse Prevention
program by their classroom teachers with the support of the Child and Youth Counsellor. There is
no formal program in grade two, four and six, although the safety concepts are reviewed by
classroom teachers informally.
We encourage you to discuss with your child at home the concepts taught in the Child Abuse
Prevention Curriculum.
For more information regarding the Child Abuse Prevention Policy and/or Programs please contact
Katrina Plazek, Principal or Bonnie Pomfret, Child and Youth Counsellor.
FROM THE PROGRAM DEPARTMENT...
The New Ontario Curriculum
Ontario’s newly revised French As a Second Language Curriculum (Core French, Extended French,
and French Immersion), to be implemented in September 2014, strives to foster “Lifelong
Language Learning”. Its vision is as follows:
Students will communicate and interact with growing confidence in French, one of Canada’s official
languages, while developing the knowledge, skills, and perspectives they need to participate fully as
citizens in Canada and in the world. (The Ontario Curriculum: French As A Second Language, 2013)
In order to help all students meet their full potential during and after their academic career, the
curriculum advocates teaching language that is meaningful and relevant to students’ real-life
experiences and interests. It promotes twenty-first century learning skills such as effective
communication, critical and creative thinking, and intercultural awareness.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a tool for defining, tracking
and recognizing progress in learning a language, is integrated across the new curriculum. It
encourages French As A Second Language (FSL) learners to describe their level of proficiency
using “I can” statements and FSL teachers to assess the proficiency of their students.
Upper Grand District School Board continually strives to promote high quality education. In doing
so, Core French and French Immersion teachers have been invited to attend professional
development sessions to raise awareness about the CEFR and to share best practices in the
classroom. An FSL committee made up of the Principal of Program, both Elementary and
Secondary Curriculum leaders, as well as School Administrators attended a Ministry of Education
session in February to further deepen its understanding of the new curriculum. The Board’s
official rollout to its FSL teachers will take place this coming spring.
Available Resources
1. The Ontario Curriculum: French As A Second Language http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/fsl
2. CEFR: Common European Framework http://www.hdsb.ca/Downloads/CEFR_For%20Web_Dec%202010.pdf
3. Canadian Parents for French - http://cpf.ca/
4. FSL Homework Toolbox - http://www.fslhomeworktoolbox.ca/
FROM THE PROGRAM DEPARTMENT
Talking About Mental Health!
Let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Lynn Woodford, Psychologist, the Mental Health and Addiction
Lead with the Upper Grand District School Board and I like to talk about Mental Health! It is an
exciting time in our schools and communities where we can all make a difference in our children and
youth’s mental well being, as well as understanding and supporting mental health concerns.
Mental well-being and mental health concerns are closely linked to academic and social outcomes.
Students who experience mental health and/or addiction concerns often struggle academically and
may not be able to demonstrate their full academic potential unless provided with appropriate
understanding and support. At Upper Grand District School Board we are talking about mental
health, promoting positive mental health and supporting students with mental health concerns.
As part of Ontario’s plan to enhance children’s mental health and wellness (“Open
Minds, Healthy Minds”), the Upper Grand District School Board has developed its
own Mental Health and Addiction Strategy. I am thrilled to be the lead on this
project.
The UGDSB Mental Health and Addiction Strategy guides the schools to promote
awareness of mental health needs, supports and services; to build capacity among
students, staff and parents; and to collaborate with community partners to
provide support for students and their families. We are promoting positive mental health, creating
a culture of caring and empathy regarding mental health and addictions, and enabling all to
collaborate with community partners in a coordinated, responsive and effective manner. Students
need support and guidance from caring adults in their families, at schools and in their communities.
These include ongoing secure relationships with parents as well as formal and informal
relationships with teachers, mentors, coaches, peers, youth volunteers and community members.
Ensuring positive student mental health is a shared responsibility of students, parents, community
partners and all staff. The Upper Grand District School Board is working to de-stigmatize mental
health issues and promote positive mental health.
Each month I will be writing a column about mental health and well-being in the hope of providing
parents with information to increase awareness of mental health issues and promote well being in
our children and youth and within our schools, families and communities. I hope you find these
columns interesting and useful. I look forward to Talking About Mental Health with you each
month!
FROM THE PROGRAM DEPARTMENT…
Math Games to Play at Home
Do you read with your child every night? Is it a positive experience that
creates a love of reading between you and your child?
Do you play a fun math game with your child every night? Is it a positive
experience that creates a love of math between you and your child?
Does your child bring home a library book from school? Does your child bring home a math game
from school?
Did you answer these questions differently? Do you view reading differently than math? Are you
looking for a way to make practicing math skills at home more fun and exciting for your child?
There are lots of online computer games and apps that make practicing math skills more engaging
for your child.
Beginning this month, and from now until June we will be including some math
games in our newsletter that you can play at home with your children. Math
continues to be a focus at our school and within our board and we hope it will
be a focus for you at home as well.
Go to https://www.prodigygame.com/Canada/ for a free online Math game that supports Mental
Math abilities and builds confidence with problem solving questions.
“Race to 10, 50 or 100”- Roll the dice and add up each turn. First one to 10, 50 or 100 wins.
Multiply the numbers for older students.
“Guess my number”- Place a sticky note on your child’s back and have them guess the number by
asking only yes/no questions (Is it bigger than 500, is it odd/even, etc.)
Play Dominos, Cribbage or Yahtzee.
Send us an email with your favourite math game so that we can share the word with all our families
and send a message to our students, that learning math happens every day all around us.
HEALTH UNIT NEWS
JK/SK Parents - Learn about your child’s eating and activity habits
In March your JK/SK child will bring home a nutrition survey from Public Health called
NutriSTEP®. Please take several minutes to fill out the survey and mail it back to Public Health in
the postage-paid envelope provided.
You could win 1 of 6 gift cards valued at $50 for returning the survey.
By filling out the survey, parents can learn about their child’s eating and activity habits. Many
parents realize their child’s habits are normal while other parents learn a few things their child
could improve on. You can speak to a Public Health nurse about your child’s growth and
development. Call KIDS LINE 1-800-265-7293 ext 3616.
DIGITAL SATURDAY OPEN HOUSE - MARCH 22ND, 2014
The Upper Grand District School Board is hosting an open house featuring displays and brief
workshops on how students are using technology to learn. “Digital Saturday” takes place on March
22nd, 2014 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm at King George PS, 72 Lemon Street in Guelph.
Doors will open at 9:00 am for displays. Brief workshops will start at 10:00 am and be repeated
until noon. The open house will close at 12:30 pm.
Digital Saturday will be an opportunity to explore and learn about:
•
new technologies in the classroom like Chromebooks, UGCloud and iPads
•
assistive technologies to support all learners including Kurzweil and Read&Write for Google
•
online digital resources for assisting student learning such as UG2GO, UGCloud and
Homework Help
•
parent engagement strategies for home use of technology
•
appropriate use of technology, digital citizenship and personal technologies in our classrooms
There will be a variety of short workshops repeated throughout the
morning as well as displays highlighting the use of technology as a student
learning tool in the Upper Grand District School Board.
There will be lots of opportunities for interaction and co-learning. Older
children (8 and up) may find the display tables and workshops informative
and engaging.
Childcare for children ages 3-7 is available during the event. Please preregister for childcare online at: http://bit.ly/digitalsaturday.
We hope to see you there as partners in education!
A MESSAGE FROM ROCKWOOD FC
The deadline for soccer registration is April 1st!
To register on line visit our website www.rockwoodfc.com and click
on the registration tab.
We are encouraging on line registrations this year but if you prefer
paper, or would like help with the online registration process, come
to our office in-person for the last call registration evening on
Monday, March 31st between 5:45 pm and 7:45 pm at the Rockwood
Library.
If you have any questions regarding the registration process, please contact the registrar via email
at registrar@rockwoodfc.com or text or call and leave a message at 519-856-4842.
FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT…
TVOKids and the OFMEM want all families to "Push the Button!"
TVOKids and the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) are teaming up
once again to raise awareness about the importance of early detection by asking Ontario families
to test their smoke alarms.
This year’s spring campaign begins on February 24th and ends on March 9th.
Encourage everyone in your community to “Push the Button!” and test the smoke alarms in their
homes. Kids at home will love the permission to “Push the Button!” to hear if the alarms are
working.
Once they've tested their smoke alarms, kids are encouraged to go to
tvokids.com between February 24th and March 9th and enter the number of
alarms they have tested. The number will be added to TVOKids “Push the
Button!” counter. Kids will also be able to print a special “Push the Button”
certificate.
Please note: TVOKids.com is an English language website and so the “Push the Button” certificates
are only available in English.
For some added fun, TVOKids.com has a great online and interactive fire safety game for children
11 and under. Hot Spot or Not encourages players to identify fire safety hazards in a house or
apartment, room by room.
SEVEN SERIES AUTHOR EVENT
Please see the attached poster/flyer advertising an upcoming literacy event at Centennial CVI,
featuring seven well-known Canadian authors. The Seven book series has been incredibly popular
with grades 6-9 students across our board and we are excited to be able to host this event. The
individual authors will be visiting a number of our schools during the day and then coming together
to do this literacy event in the evening. It is on Monday, March 3rd from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm in
the Centennial cafetorium. Admission is free!
Upper Grand District School Board
D IG IT A L O P E N
HO US E
The UGDSB is hosting
Saturday, March 22, 2014
an open house featuring
displays and brief
workshops on how
King George School
students are using
72 Lemon St., Guelph
technology to learn.
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
W O RK S H O P S
Brief workshops will start
at 10:00 a.m. and be
repeated until noon.
VISIT:
www.ugdsb.on.ca/digitalsaturday
for more information
EXPLOR E
Digital Saturday will be
an opportunity to explore
and learn about:
•
New technologies in
the classroom.
•
Homework Help.
•
Assistive
technologies to
support all learners.
•
Online digital
resources for
assisting student
learning.
•
Parent engagement
strategies for home
use.
•
Childcare for children ages 3-7 is available. Please pre-register for
childcare online at: http://bit.ly/digitalsaturday
Appropriate use of
technology, digital
citizenship and
personal
technologies.
information technology
Eramosa Public School
March 2014
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
Character Theme this month is
‘Untie the Knots of Prejudice’
2
9
3
- K-6 Dairy
Presentations
-Seven Series
presentation at
CCVI 7-9pm
-Pita Day
4 -Last
Read4Success
5:30-7:00pm
5
K-6 Skating
1:30 - 2:30pm
-KB Dairy
Presentation
-Assembly
2:35pm
- Pizza Day
10
11
12
“Push the
Button”
campaign ends
16
30
-Pizza Day
7
8
Ministry
Mandated
PA Day
No School for
Students
13
14
15
20
21
KA
-Assembly
2:359m
-Pizza Day
22
28
-Pizza Day
29
MARCH BREAK
17
-Welcome Back!
18
- Green Legacy
“Seeds in the
Classroom K-3
-Pita Day
23
6
-Winter
Carnival 1:00pm
“Push the
Button”
Campaign
24
-Hotdog Day
31
25
-Gr. 1 Maple
Sugarbush trip
19
“Digital
Saturday” at
King George PS
9am – 12:30pm
Grade 6 Mansfield Trip
26
-Gr. 3 Pizza
Perfect trip
-River Run trip
for gr. 5 & 6
27
KB