David Marquis, Principal
Brenda Sherry, Vice-Principal
March 2015
Lindsay Redpath, Office Co-Ordinator
397 Stevenson St. N, Guelph ON, N1E 5C1
Tel: (519) 763-7374 Fax: (519) 763-6344
Principal’s Message
It’s difficult to believe that I’m already writing the March newsletter. February has come
and gone in what seems to have been just the “blink of an eye”, and it sure did give us a
continued taste of winter with some pretty cold temperatures. Safe to say the ground
hog was wrong this year: No early Spring here… sure feels like six more weeks of
winter to me!
February was another busy month at École Edward Johnson. Numerous activities took
place including Linamar performances, Safety Presentations by the Guelph Police, visits
from the Guelph Humane Society and in the classrooms, the sound of learning
continues to be heard throughout the school.
A reminder that March Break is beginning Monday, March 16th to Friday, March 20th.
Also, don’t forget that Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8th, 2015 at 2 am,
and that the first day of Spring is March 20th.
Please keep in mind that when we return to school on Monday, March 23rd, our students
will still need to dress appropriately for the weather. March can be a tricky month when
temperatures may fluctuate and it is often the time of year when our playground
becomes a little messier than usual with all the puddles and mud. Extra socks and dry
pants may be needed for those students who get wet near or in those playground
puddles.
Happy March!
David Marquis
19 845 Reasons to Celebrate
École Edward Johnson joins 12 other schools across Canada selected to receive Future
Shop Technology Funding for innovative ideas. Students and staff are looking to
transform the library at École Edward Johnson into a creative Learning Commons that
promotes flexible purposes for learning. The plan is to transform the space to include
learning, invention, play, creation and innovation in a way that is responsive to the
needs, interests and abilities of our students. In creating this space to include areas for
Makerspace and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) learning, the
acquisition of additional resources and hardware is essential. We are absolutely thrilled
to announce that a grant proposal, initiated by School Council and staff working
together, has successfully led our school to being awarded funds in the amount of $19
845.00. A HUGE thank you to Amanda Gudino and Mme Sherry for spearheading this
project!
A reminder that our Board has a wonderful resource for all of our students that can be
accessed 24/7 from school or from home. It’s called UG2GO and includes Learn360
(educational video streaming), Student Link (a site children use at school that gives
them access to web sites that are kid-friendly and relate directly to their current units of
study), Tumblebooks (a site that has hundreds of books children can click on and have
read to them), Noodletools (gives children help making bibliographies), Knowledge
Ontario (a variety of approved encyclopedias, magazine articles suitable for elementary
students), and much more. When students are at home, they can go to the main
address: https://www.ugdsb.on.ca/ug2go which will prompt them to enter the same
Windows username and password that they use at school to get onto the school
network. Once they enter their Windows username/password, they will enter the site
and they can then click on any of the resources and be taken directly to the individual
resource without the need to login.
Please take a few minutes to explore the site with your child. It is an important tool that
will aid them in their education, and may make your life easier when it comes to
homework and projects. We are excited that students will be able to access information
from anywhere and at anytime in this information age!
School Council
All parents are welcome attend our school council meeting on Thursday March 12th at
6:30 pm. We will discuss the allocating of funds between Edward Johnson School
Council and the new Council for the Couling Crescent School.
A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came out to help with Pancake Tuesday on
February 17th. The day was a great success!
Our Valentine’s Day dance-a-thon was also a great success! Students had a fantastic
time dancing and grooving to the music and those fancy lights. We raised a total of
$3825.00! A huge thank you to all the families who donated! Thank you as well to all the
volunteers who made this event happen!
Ontario Educational Resource Bank
Another great online resource is the Ontario Educational Resource Bank. Here,
students have access to a wide range of learning materials available to teachers and
students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. This is accessed at
http://resources.elearningontario.ca/. The student login is done with the following User
id: UGDSBstudent, and Password: oerbs.
Lost and Found
Please encourage your children to look through the lost and found items. We continue
to have many unclaimed items even when displayed. Unfortunately, we do not have
storage to keep all the unclaimed clothing and we may have to send those “lost” items
to a local charity.
Are you a parent of a student who has special needs?
This is an exciting time in Ontario as four government Ministries are working together to
develop a new system of services and supports for children and youth with special
needs and their families. The Dufferin-Wellington Special Needs Strategy planning table
would like to hear from you! Focus groups will be held from March 2-10, 2015. If you
can’t attend a focus group, complete our survey March 6-22, 2015. Please visit the
website below to learn how to participate.
http://dufferinwellingtonspecialneedsstrategy.weebly.com/
Planning A Move?
If so, please inform the office of the details. Also, if you know of someone moving into
our area, we would appreciate knowing so that class organizations for next year can be
made accurately.
Interim Student Accommodation (Superintendent Letter – February 11, 2015)
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As you know, École Edward Johnson Public School is experiencing enrolment pressure,
with the projected number of students exceeding the capacity of the school and
portables by September 2015. In January five options for dealing with the issue were
presented at a public information session and in a report to trustees. We received a
significant amount of thoughtful public input about the issue, in meetings and online.
Your time and interest in seeking an outcome that best serves the needs of students is
most appreciated.
On February 10 trustees voted to approve Option 5 (the recommendations appearing on
page 2 of Interim Move of Edward Johnson PS Students – Report #2). Option 5 was
also the choice of 74% of people who expressed a preference for one option. The
following changes take effect September 2015:
• an interim boundary for the new East Guelph school on Couling Crescent
• JK-3 students residing in the interim boundary will be temporarily accommodated in
the Tytler PS building (131 Ontario Street) during the 2015/16 school year
• JK-4 students residing in the interim boundary be accommodated at Tytler PS during
the 2016/17 school year if the new East Guelph school is not open
• grade 4-6 students residing in the Edward Johnson PS boundary remain at Edward
Johnson PS during the 2015/16 school year and will continue at Edward Johnson PS
until they graduate to King George PS for Grades 7 & 8
Staff were also directed to prepare a transition plan to address the move of students to
the Tytler PS building and to facilitate the purchase of the necessary resources, which
would then be moved to the new East Guelph school.
Our intent is that students who attend Tytler PS, along with the teachers, office staff and
principal, will be the beginning of a new school community that will travel together when
the new East Guelph school opens. In Spring 2015 a full boundary review for the new
East Guelph school will be conducted, including the King George PS community. We
will endeavour to keep you updated as we move forward, but always feel free to bring
questions or concerns to Principal Marquis. We will also update
www.ugdsb.on.ca/ejplan with a new FAQ that will hopefully address some of the
questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Gary Slater Superintendent of Education
Upcoming Special Education Workshops for Students and Parents
Here are some upcoming dates for both Wellington County and the surrounding area for
families looking for opportunities and information about Special Education.
Some upcoming dates for Wellington County:
Indoor Playground Family Event with Autism Ontario - Wellington Chapter
Time: March 1st, 9:00am-10:00am Location: Funmazing Play Centre (Imperial Rd. N.,
Guelph)
Registration: Visit http://goo.gl/rdZ6sg Contact: Jennifer Dent,
jennifer@autismontario.com or (226) 748-3372
Families are invited to come out and enjoy Funmazing Play Centre in Guelph. We will
have full, exclusive use including play structure, arcade games, Piñata pit, and a car
track! Don’t forget to bring socks (Caregivers included). Registration is required. This
event is open to children with ASD, their siblings and caregivers only. Spaces are
limited.
Some upcoming dates for the surrounding area:
Understanding the Impacts of Learning Disabilities
March 25, 2015, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.Learning Disabilities Association Toronto District ,121
Willowdale Avenue, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario M2N 6A3
This workshop will focus on understanding the impacts of LD on children and their
families and will offer strategies for how to help children cope at home, school and play.
Fee: Members: $10, Non Members: $15, Registration at the Door: $20
Solutions for Learning - Minds That Matter Conference (March 26, 2015)The Learning
Disabilities Association of Halton hosts their 4th annual Solutions for Learning
Conference, Thursday March 26th, 2015 at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel and
Conference Centre
Parents, educators and associated para professionals will gather together for this full
day of sharing and learning about learning disabilities and/or ADHD. Multiple speakers
and breakout sessions offers something for everyone. Breakfast and lunch included.
Complete registration details, program description and information about hotel
accommodations can be found on the website: www.ldahalton.ca.
Learning Disabilities Association of Toronto Understanding the Impacts of Learning
Disabilities
March 25, 2015, 7-8:30pm Learning Disabilities Association Toronto District, 121
Willowdale Avenue, Suite 100, Toronto
This workshop will focus on understanding the impacts of LD on children and their
families and will offer strategies for how to help children cope at home, school and play.
Fee: Members: $10, Non Members: $15, Registration at the Door: $20
The Autism Compass: Your resource roadmap to help you navigate your ASD journey
Sunday, March 29th from 11am -3pm at The Abilities Centre, Whitby
Feeling lost and unclear as to what Autism is and means for your child? No clue what is
available for them? Want to understand what they’re entitled to? Look no further! This
FREE Event is here to help you on your Autism Journey! Offered by Autism's Angels
and Autism Ontario-Durham Region.
Learning Disabilities Association of Toronto Education Law for Parents of Children with
Learning Disabilities
April 8, 2015, 7-8:30pm Learning Disabilities Association Toronto District, 121
Willowdale Avenue, Suite 100, Toronto
Anne Irwin is a lawyer who focuses her practice on representing children in the area of
education law. She is dedicated to informing parents about education law to enable
them to better advocate on behalf of their children in the school system. In this
workshop parents will learn about various aspects of education law, including the rights
of “exceptional” children under the Education Act, and how the Human Rights Code
protects students with disabilities. Fee: Members: $10, Non Members: $15, Registration
at the Door: $20
Learning Disabilities Association of Toronto Bullying Prevention
April 22, 2015, 7-8:30pm Learning Disabilities Association Toronto District, 121
Willowdale Avenue, Suite 100, Toronto
It is important for parents to recognize the signs of bullying and take action to ensure
kids are protected. This workshop will help parents understand bullying from a child’s
perspective, present the warning signs to look out for, provide strategies to improve
communication with their children and discuss proactive steps parents can take to keep
kids safe. Fee: Members: $10, Non Members: $15, Registration at the Door: $20
Kids Ability Sleep Solutions for Tired Parents
May 20, 2015 Kids Ability, 500 Hallmark Drive, Waterloo
This workshop will focus on understanding anxiety and sharing strategies to support you
and your child in managing circumstances that are challenging for your child Free
http://www.kidsability.ca/en/EventArchive
Learning Disabilities Association of Toronto Successful Transitioning
May 22, 2015, 7-8:30pm Learning Disabilities Association Toronto District, 121
Willowdale Avenue, Suite 100, Toronto
Mitchell Curci has worked in the area of special education for over 35 years. He
currently supports LDATD as a Community Outreach & Education Advocacy specialist.
This presentation is designed to help parents better understand the transition process of
students with exceptionalities as they move from elementary to high school and then on
to post-secondary. Fee: Members: $10, Non Members: $15, Registration at the Door:
$20
Winter Carnaval Rescheduled
Mother Nature sure has been playing havoc with our outside activities this winter. To
this effect, our Winter Carnaval originally planned for Friday, February 6 th has been
rescheduled, due to the extreme cold temperatures, to Friday, March 6 th. Students,
staff and parents will be looking forward to things warming up a little so that we can get
outdoors and enjoy some winter fun.
Study Smart
Students who “study smart” find that they spend less time studying, and yet they get
better grades. Here are a few tips to help you study smart:
-Find a good place to study.
-Know your learning style.
-Organize your study time.
-Use tricks to memorize information.
-Get started.
Student Punctuality
Being on time is an important life skill that we encourage all our students to display.
When students arrive on time, they receive an overview of the day’s activities and allow
the teacher to efficiently complete the general housekeeping activities such as taking
attendance or the collection of forms and money. They hear the announcements which
inform them of general school information and they are a part of the daily opening
exercises. Being on time also eliminates unnecessary disruptions to classes. We
appreciate the effort made by most students to be on time. Punctuality is a benefit for
the students as well as a courtesy to others.
Here’s to a GREAT March Break!
As always…Play Safe