Katherine, Wainman, Principal
Jylian Buitendyk, Office Co-Ordinator
397 Stevenson St. N, Guelph ON, N1E 5C1
Tel: (519) 763-7374 Fax: (519) 763-6344
May 2016
Principal’s Message
Yes, it is true that May has arrived. It’s been a bit of an unusual spring, so let’s hope the
weather stays spring-like. This month at École Edward Johnson, as most months, has
many activities going on so be sure to check the calendar, newsletters, tweets, signs,
School Council Facebook page and your child’s agenda.
With the warmer temperatures and sunshine, please make sure your child is dressed
appropriately. The layering of clothes is always an effective way to adjust to the
changing temperatures. Putting on sunscreen in the morning is always good practice.
Be sure to pack a sunhat and some extra sunscreen for those really hot and sunny
days. Remember, beach wear is not permitted at school.
Here are some upcoming activities at EJPS:
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Tuesday, May 3 Camp Paradise Meeting @7:00 pm
Wednesday, May 4 Emergency Preparedness Day (Mme Eddington; Mme
Anselmini-Lofton; Mme Roberts)
Thursday, May 5 Spring Concert (Kindies @ 9:30 and Grades 1-6 @ 11:45)
Friday, May 6 Jump Rope For Heart
Monday, May 9 School Council Meeting 6:30 in library
Tuesday, May 10 School Council Presents “Mindful Parenting” 6:30 – 8:30
pm in the library (Lug a Mug) see flyer
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Tuesday, May 10 Siblings Photos Lifetouch
Wednesday, May 11 School Track and Field Day
Thursday, May 12 Rain date for School Track and Field Day
Thursday, May 12 Aquatics Guelph Assembly in Gym for Grades 3 and 4
Friday, May 13 Floor Hockey Tournament (afternoon)
Tuesday, May 17, Everdale Farms (Henke all day)
Thursday, May 19, Bicycle Safety Grades 3, 4, and 5 in gym @ 11:30- 12:30
Friday, May 20, Everdale Farms (Forbes all day)
Wednesday, May 25 – June 8 EQAO window opens
Thursday, May 26, Everdale Farms (MacDonald all day)
Friday, May 27, Green Legacy Trip (Caswell; Lachmansingh)
Tuesday, June 7, Everdale Farms (Young all day)
Thursday, June 9, Everdale Farms (Campbell all day)
As you can see there are many activities going on!
Are You Moving From Edward Johnson ?
Please contact the office if you know that your children will not be attending Edward
Johnson in September. We are in the process of organizing and staffing our classes for
next year. Numbers are critical for this process. As well, if you know of any “new”
students who have not yet registered, please encourage them to do so since that makes
our planning much easier.
EQAO Testing Dates
The following dates are the days our Grade 3 and 6 students will be completing the
EQAO assessments. Our window for test days at our school will extend from May 25 to
June 8. It is very important that all students complete all aspects of the assessment.
We ask that you keep these days in mind when planning family holidays, doctor’s
appointments, etc. for students.
Bicycle Helmets
For the past several years, information has been shared with you related
to the importance of children wearing helmets for cycling, in-line skating,
and skateboarding. You should also be aware of the potential hazard
that exists when children wearing bicycle helmets are playing on
playground equipment. Helmets can become wedged in small openings and straps
entangled in the equipment that may result in strangulation. With warmer weather
approaching, we would ask that you join us in reinforcing to your children that they need
to wear helmets when riding or skating, but also of the dangers of wearing their helmet
while on playground equipment.
Allergy Alert
Please be reminded that we currently have students at Edward Johnson
with severe nut allergies (anaphylaxis). For some of these students, the
situation can be life threatening and therefore, we are asking for your
cooperation in taking the necessary precautions to avoid any such risk.
Please help us to provide a safe environment at our school by avoiding
sending to school any items containing nuts. In some classes we also have students
with life-threatening allergies to dairy, egg, soy, insects. Those classes are monitored
closely to ensure student safety. Thank you for your cooperation in this serious matter.
Earth Week Success
This year, students were involved in a variety of environmental activities throughout the
month of April. Again we chose to have our whole school participate in the Green
Legacy program. Our primary students planted seedlings which are now growing
rapidly in our classrooms. In May, our junior students are off to the Green
Legacy greenhouses to work at transplanting seedlings and to learn great
things about environmental ecosystems. We also enjoyed another fabulous
planting day in our school yard with Moritz from GRCA !
Mme Tendick and her awesome team completed the waste audit as well.
They have some suggestions for the whole school on how to better sort our
garbage.
Head Lice
A reminder that head lice are a nuisance but not a health hazard, and they don’t result
from a lack of cleanliness. It is very important to check your child(ren)’s head
frequently. If you do discover head lice, please notify the school office so that we can
try to keep it under control in the school. We thrive to be a lice and nit-free school at
Edward Johnson and in the event that your child(ren) were to have lice, we ask that you
treat your child(ren) and ensure that they are both lice and nit-free before returning to
school.
May 23rd is Victoria Day
No School for Students and Staff
Does your child have an LD, ADD/ADHD or both? Here are some great resources to help you:
1. Work with your child to understand how they think and learn
2. Develop some strategies with your child to help them advocate for what they need to
learn (technology, accommodations to the environment or learning tasks)
Other great online resources include:
The Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, which has lots of good information on LD and ADD/ADHD
issues, including topics about how to understand the IPRC and IEP, how to advocate for your child and topics
related to specific LDs.
http://www.ldao.ca/introduction-to-ldsadhd/what-are-lds/
The Learning Disabilities Association of Wellington County connects to the Ontario chapter, but provides links and
information about workshops and activities that are being held in Wellington.
http://www.ldawc.ca/
Our school board has also worked hard to address the needs of LD and ADD/ADHD students by providing SEA
equipment, Google Read and Write training and targeted reading programs to help LD students access the
curriculum and develop key academic skills.
Connect with your child’s teacher to discuss all the supports that are available to your child!
What is STEM and why is it important?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The idea is to offer students
tasks that integrate more than one subject area such as thinking about all the angles, measurements
and calculations involved in building a structure that could stand up to the elements of our
Canadian winters. STEM provides opportunity to focus on one assignment while applying
knowledge gained in a number of subjects so knowledge gained in one area can be applied in
another. Check out this link for more information
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPJ48simtE)
Think of it like driving a car. We can’t just focus on braking or steering by themselves. We need to
simultaneously think of acceleration, steering, signaling, braking and road signs all at the same time
and ideally we’d like our students to have the same flexibility with their thinking across different
subject areas.
Try this activity to promote mathematics, science, engineering and language.
Using popsicle sticks, glue, tape, and elastics, design and build a device that will launch 3
marshmallows as far as possible using elastic bands. The elastic energy may be “loaded” by hand
but the device must get all of its launching power from the stored energy in the elastic bands.
Have fun and enjoy!
Monthly Environmental Newsletter Inserts
May Environmental Theme: CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate Change refers to any changes in long-term weather patterns (temperature, precipitation, wind,
storms) that have been caused by humans polluting the atmosphere with too many greenhouse gases like
methane and carbon dioxide. We need to act now, because who can argue with reducing pollution?
Pollution can't possibly be good for us!
The world is tracking climate change. Weather and temperature has been changing too quickly over the
past few decades, which seems to be caused by the industrial revolution here on Earth. We are sending too
much pollution (from cars, trucks, factories, and power plants using coal) into our atmosphere. Over the
past hundred years the temperature of the Earth has risen and this has caused many changes in nature. For
example, species of plants and animals are either migrating or becoming extinct. Some seaside cities may
soon be underwater from rising sea levels. We are having more severe weather patterns like tornadoes and
hurricanes and ice storms. Drinkable water sources are drying up.
What can you do to help be part of the solution? Well, all of the things we have been talking about this year
can help. It you buy less and reduce, then less energy will be used and less pollution will be sent into our
atmosphere. If you don't waste electricity you help out too. If you walk or bike to school or carpool you are
doing your part. If you buy locally you reduce the greenhouse gases emitted through shipping and this helps
planet Earth too.
You can Google: "Top 10 ways you can stop Climate Change" to get more ideas on how you can help.
And finally, eat a fresh, local apple - Not only is it good for you, but greenhouse gases were not created in
the processing, canning, freezing, packaging or long distance transportation, so local apples are good for
the planet too!
Slogan of the month: Climate Change is not cool!
This year the new Health and Physical Education curriculum will be implemented in all schools in Ontario. Included
in the update are new expectations in the Human Development and Sexual Health component of the curriculum.
This education starts with children learning about themselves, their feelings, their bodies and about showing respect
for themselves and others in a reliable and accurate way. This learning is most effective when parents and schools
work together. Parents help their children form values about relationships and their behaviours. To support these
discussions, we are letting parents know that this unit will be covered in the (first two weeks of May/or insert other
timeline) by (insert divisions/classes). There are plenty of resources available for parents to support the learning of
the curriculum on the Ministry of Education website: http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/health.html.
Feedback welcome on draft policies
The Upper Grand District School Board is welcoming public input on draft policies.
Currently open for consultation are draft policies and procedures for school
accommodation and boundaries, community partnerships, smoke-free environment and
asthma friendly schools, with input due by May 11, 2016. There is also a new draft
policy and procedures for the handling of public concerns, with an input deadline of May
30, 2016. Please review the draft documents and submit online feedback
at www.ugdsb.on.ca/policy.
An Introduction to Mindful Parenting
MINDFUL PARENTING
TUESDAY, MAY 10 TH , 2016 6:30-8:30 PM
This presentation will combine lecture and experiential practices that support us to be more
present, respond to stress and manage difficult emotions with our kids and ourselves.
 I N N ER W O R K O F P A R EN T IN G : ST R E SS & O L D G H O ST S
 A T T U N EM E N T & R E F L EC T IO N : HO W D O R E LA T IO N S H IP S
S H A P E T HE BR A I N ?
 H A R N ES S IN G C O N N EC T IO N : U SI N G BR A I N - B A S ED
P A R E N T IN G
 C U LT I VA T IN G C O M P A S S I O N , A C C EP T A N C E A N D C U R IO S IT Y
 T H E M IN D F U L P A R E N T IN G C Y C L E
WHERE? At Edward Johnson P.S. in the Library
Kimberley Brawley, BFA, RMT, MSW, RSW.
Kimberley is a clinical social worker with a background in mindfulness, arts based interventions and somatic therapies. Currently working as a child
and family therapist specializing in attachment, trauma, and infant mental health, she is passionate about helping families create harmonious
relationships, deepening connections and sharing reflective practices with parents and kids.
Parents - please register for School Cash Online!
ONLINE PAYMENTS NOW AVAILABLE!
For safety and efficiency reasons, we want to reduce the amount of cash and cheques coming into our
school. School related expenses such as pizza days, field trips, spirit wear, yearbooks, etc. will be
available soon for online purchase. Please take a few minutes to register now so you can enjoy the
convenience of online shopping.
Here’s how to register:
Step 1:
Go to this website: https://ugdsb.schoolcashonline.com
Step 2:
Register by selecting “Get Started Now” and following the steps.
Step 3:
After you receive the confirmation email, select the ‘click here’ option,
sign in and add each of your children to your household account.
Thank you.
School Cash Online
Benefits:
 Convenient:
 Easy to Use:
 Safe:
 Secure:
 Save Time:
Make payments anytime…Online!
Fill a shopping cart and check out
No more need to send cash to school
Our website is protected and PCI compliant
It takes Less than 5 minutes to register
https://ugdsb.schoolcashonline.com