Kortright Hills Public School
23 Ptarmigan DriveGuelph, OntarioN1C 1B5(519)827-1601Fax (519)827-9251
Kirk Runciman, Principal
Kim Kowch, Vice Principal
Anne Bonnar, Office Co-Ordinator
Rosemary Coghlin, Administrative Assistant
Newsletter for December, 2011
From the Principal’s Desk
Now that we have turned the calendar to
December, it’s almost time for the
Holiday Break! With only a few weeks to
go until the holidays begin, the entire
staff of Kortright Hills Public School
wishes everyone in our school community a safe and
happy holiday and all the best for the New Year!
If you are looking for Christmas presents for that
student who is hard to buy for, remember BOOKS
make great gifts. Ten good reasons why books make
the best presents:
1. Books don’t have to be assembled.
2. Books don’t need batteries.
3. Books never come in the wrong size or colour.
4. Books don’t need spare parts.
5. Books don’t need to be serviced by a dealer.
6. Books don’t need watering or fertilizer.
7. Books don’t need extension cords.
8. Books don’t have zippers that break.
9. Books don’t bite, scratch or kick.
10. Books don’t go out of style.
Many Opportunities At KHPS
KHPS is not only a great place to learn, but it also
offers many opportunities for students to flourish
beyond academics. Though we are only one-third of
the way through the school year, our students have
had the chance to be a part of many teams and/or
clubs. Included in this list of extracurricular options
for students is the Photography Club, the Tech Club,
boys and girls volleyball and soccer, the Baking Club,
Mad Science, Primary Choir, touch football, book
clubs, Drama Club, Grade 8 Band and Me to We Club.
Please encourage your child to participate on a club
or team as it provides a great opportunity to learn
outside of the classroom, spend time with friends
and exercise his/her mind or body.
Kirk Runciman
Principal
A Warm Welcome from the Library
Several exciting things have
happened in the library recently!
Students involved in the Book Clubs
have begun blogging on their
websites and the Technology Club
students have begun their
training to become Google Ninjas
(part of the Google Apps for Education pilot
project), In addition, the Library website is now
available for families to access 24/7.
http://goo.gl/yaB7y Be sure to check it out! The site
is a “work in progress” so you will notice new pages
and information being added throughout the year.
Book Club and Technology Club students will be
involved, as well as other students who are
interested. Stay tuned for more details to follow...
Grade 4 – 8 students were excited this week to learn
that our Library now has eight KOBO e-readers!
Your child must return a signed permission form
before he/she will be allowed to sign out a KOBO, as
well as agree to the KOBO Borrower Agreement to
ensure that our KOBOs will be used responsibly and
enjoyed by everyone. Pages will be added to the
Library website for students to learn more about
the e-readers and to view the books that are on the
KOBOs.
The Scholastic Book Fair arrives December 1st.
Students will be visiting the Library on Friday for a
preview, and sales will begin on Saturday, December
3rd during the Family Fun Day event, continuing next
week both before and after school. Thanks in
advance for supporting our Literacy fund-raiser
which will help us to continue to provide a variety of
books for students to access through the Library, as
well as providing our staff with high quality
resources and literacy materials to support learning
in the classroom. A special thank you to the parents
and students who have volunteered to help with the
Book Fair. I couldn't do it without each one of you!
Thank you!
Book Fair Hours:
Sat., Dec. 3rd 10am – 1 pm
Mon., Dec. 5th 8am – 10:30am 2:30pm – 4pm
Tues., Dec. 6th 8am – 10:30am 2:30pm – 4pm
Wed., Dec. 7th 8am – 10:30am
Come visit the Library!
Mrs. Morgan - Teacher-Librarian
sheila.morgan@ugdsb.on.ca
School Stuff
December Break
Students finish school on Friday, December 23rd at
the regular time of 3:20 p.m. School will resume on
Monday, January 9th, 2012 at the regular time of
8:45 a.m.
Lost and Found
Our lost and found has reached capacity! Items will
be on display in the main foyer on
Saturday, December 3rd, during our
Christmas Family Fun Day. Please take a
look to see if any of your children’s lost
clothing has been found. Any items remaining after
Friday, December 16th will be taken to the Salvation
Army.
Before and After School Supervision
The playground is supervised by staff beginning at
8:25 a.m. Students should not be arriving before
that time unless they are going to
a supervised activity (e.g. sports
practice). If your child walks to
and from school, he/she should
leave the school immediately
after the bell at 3:20 and proceed directly home.
Morning Attendance
Please help your child to be at school when the bell
rings – 8:45 for Intermediates, 8:50 for JK - 6.
This minimizes disruption for classrooms during
learning time, and it places the value of time
management on students – a life-long skill.
Please also remember to have your child
check in at the office, if he/she is late. If
the announcements are on, he/she will need
to wait quietly in the front foyer until
announcements are finished to check in
and receive a late pass.
Dropping Students at School
Recently a number of parents have
been taking their students to their
classrooms after the
morning bell has rung.
This is a reminder that
parents need to drop late students
off at the office to report in and get a late slip from
the office. This assists us greatly with our Safe
Arrival Program – thank you for helping to keep our
children safe!
Inclement Weather
It is the parents’ responsibility to determine
whether or not it is safe for their
child to leave for school in
inclement or severe weather. A
parent must be aware of the
following:
 When a bus does not travel a route in the
morning due to fog, ice, or snow conditions, it
will not travel that route in the afternoon.
 While we have an excellent transportation
system, buses may be delayed in the morning
due to traffic, poor road conditions,
mechanical breakdowns, etc.
To ensure your child is not stranded at his/her pickup point, please make sure he/she know what to do
and where to go if the bus is more than 15 minutes
late.
Listen for
messages on your
local radio station
for the City of
Guelph - Yellow
Card.
Bus/Taxi Cancellations
Buzu Village Project
During times of inclement weather, please listen to
our local radio stations: 1460 AM CJOY, 106.1 Magic
FM or 900 AM CHML, 107.9 FM CJXY, Oldies 1090
AM, 105.3 FM CHYM, 1150 AM CKOC, 102.9 FM
CKLH, 820 AM CHAM, CKCO-TV for
school transportation cancellations.
Information on bus/taxi
cancellations and school closures are
also posted on the Upper Grand
District School Board’s website:
www.ugdsb.on.ca.
If your child(ren) regularly travel(s) by bus, parents
DO NOT need to inform the school when the buses
are cancelled. If, however, your
child(ren) regularly walks to school,
you are asked to leave a message on
the 24 hr attendance line (519 8271601 ext. 200) for any absence or late arrival.
PLEASE NOTE: On days when buses/taxis are
cancelled, unless otherwise informed, the school will
be open and a regular school program will be offered.
Also, if parents of bus students drive their
child(ren) in the morning, they must also pick them
up at 3:20 p.m.
Dr. Sohn, a Guelph family physician, is generously
donating his time in January 2012 to construct a
school in Nigeria for the Buzus. Girls, boys, men and
women would be able to attend the school, and
initially, classes would focus on literacy and learning
the English language. Please visit the website
www.buzuvillage.com for more information.
The project is in need of the following:
 School supplies – pencils, crayons, pencil
crayons, erasers, notebooks, etc.
 Sports team uniforms (soccer, basketball,
baseball, etc.)
 Simple, easy-to-read, gently used books i.e.,
alphabet, picture, pattern
 Monetary donations – cheques made payable
Dr. Sohn’s African Project, or see website
for other payment options.
Please send all donations into the school no later
than Wednesday, December 21st.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration will take place the week
of February 6-10 2012. To register for junior
kindergarten your child must be four
years old on or before December
31st, 2012.
To register for senior kindergarten
(if your child is new to our school)
he/she must be five years old on or
before December 31st, 2012. If you can’t register
during this week, please call the school office at
519-827-1601 to arrange an alternate time. You
must bring your child’s birth verification and his/her
immunization record to register.
Holiday Food Drive
Kortright Hills students have decided to help fellow
citizens of Guelph who are less fortunate by
sponsoring a holiday food drive this year.
Collections for the Food Drive will begin Monday,
December 5th and will continue until Wednesday,
December 14th. All non-perishable
items will be very much appreciated.
Playground Safety
Our play structures are now closed for the
season. They will reopen at the beginning of
April or when the ground thaws out in the
spring.
School Safety Patrols
Our safety patrols have been doing an excellent job
in safeguarding our students and parents as they
walk to and from school, as well as on and
off school buses.
We would like to remind parents of the
following:
Please come to a full stop at lights and stop
signs.
 Please do not stop to let your children off at
the crosswalk.
 Please cross the road only at designated,
patrolled crosswalks.
 Please do not obstruct the sidewalk by
parking in front of our neighbours’ driveways.
 Please do not enter the school driveway
during designated bus entry times (8:20 8:50 a.m. and 3:00 - 3:45 p.m.).
 Please do not park or stop in a no parking /no
stopping area or where there are pylons.
This blocks the line of view for our patrols and the
bus drivers.

Safety Patrollers & Winter
Bullying: It’s Up to Everyone to Stop It
As the chilly weather fast
approaches, the school safety
officers provide hot chocolate as
a special treat to street patrollers
on duty. In order for students to take
advantage of this special offer, they must
bring in an insulated mug with a lid, to be kept at
school until the March Break. Please bring in your
mugs after the Christmas Break.
Bullying is:

Being mean to others, on purpose, to hurt
them or their feelings

About power and control

Occurring every seven minutes on elementary
school playgrounds and most often happens
while others watch

Does not stop when children are left to deal
with it themselves
Winter Active...
Are You Ready For The
Season?
Be involved in your children’s winter activities and
make if fun and safe for everyone.
Follow these tips to keep the family safe:
1. Dress for the weather. The outer layer
should be waterproof.
2. Wear the right gear. Helmets should
be worn for skiing, snowboarding,
skating, and tobogganing.
3. Practice snow safety. Make sure children
don’t play in snow banks near the road, as
snow ploughs may not see them.
4. Watch for frostbite. Signs of frostbite
include tingling, numbness, burning and/or
changes in skin colour. If you suspect
frostbite go inside immediately, take off wet
clothes and replace them with warm ones.
Call your doctor if the area
remains discolored or numb.
For more tips on kid’s safety check out
What to Do If a Child Is Being Bullied;

Believe what they say, listen and try to
understand their feelings

Involve children in community activities to
help them make friends

Contact the school to talk about the problem
and get support
Communication is important, talk to your child
about bullying and be sure to let the school know
as soon as possible if you suspect your child is
being bullied.
Health
What a good feeling!
www.safekidscanada.com
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
www.wdgpublichealth.ca
1-800-265-7293
www.wdghu.org info@wdgpublichhealth.ca
From School Council
Family Fun Day is quickly approaching! Come on out
on Saturday, December 3rd and enjoy some holiday
festivities between 10 am and 1 pm. Visit the bake
table, check out the raffle table and enjoy some
pizza and refreshments. Performances will be taking
place as follows:
10:30 – Grade 3 Orff
11:00 – Primary Choir
11: 30 – School Band
Hope to see you there!
Thanks to everyone who supported Council through
the purchasing of poinsettias. Approximately $1000
was raised through this initiative, which will support
various school programs focused on improving
student learning. Poinsettias can be picked up in the
gym at Family Fun Day. Please note: the supplier has
advised that if they run short of specialty colours,
red may have to be substituted. We have requested
that all attempts be made to fill our order as
submitted.
Mabels Labels is an ongoing fundraising initiative for
the school. Please visit the school’s personal
website: www.kortrighthills.mabel.ca to place your
order. Along with the regular product line, there are
“Holiday Products” available until December 30 th –
check it out!
There is no Council meeting to be held in December,
so mark your calendars for Monday, January 16th at
7:00 pm in the school library.
Everyone is welcome!
Have a Safe &
Happy Holiday
Season
December 2011
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
1
Day 5
Book Fair Arrives
8:00 Intermediate
Boys Volleyball
Tournament
4
5
Day 2
6
Day 3
1:00 Santa’s
Workshop
Craft Club
7
Day 4
12:45 Gr 5 –
River Run
1:00 Tech Club
*****BOOK FAIR*****
11
12
Day 2
Humane Society
Visits
10:30 Book Clubs
1:00 Drama Club
18
19
Day 2
10:30 Book Clubs
1:00 Drama Club
25
Christmas Day
26
Boxing Day
13
Day 3
Humane Society
Visits
10:30 Book Clubs
1:00 Santa’s
Workshop Craft
Club
20
Day 3
14
Day 4
10:30 Book Clubs
11:15 College
Heights Course
Selection
Presentation
8
Day 5
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
2
Day 1
3
9
Day 1
10
Book Fair – Previews
10:30 Book Clubs
1:00 Santa’s
Workshop Craft
Club
Humane Society Visits
10:30 Book Clubs
15
16
Day 5
10:30 Book Clubs
1:00 Santa’s
Workshop Craft
Club
Day 1
17
9:00 Liz Sandals Visits
Gr 5’s
10:30 Book Clubs
1:00 Tech Club
21
10:30 Book Clubs
1:00 Santa’s
Workshop Craft
Club
Hanukkah
Begins
10:30 Book
Clubs
27
28
Day 4
1:00 Tech Club
22
Day 5
9:00 Christmas
Assembly
1:00 Book Club
1st Day of Winter
29
23
Day 1
24
9:00 Christmas
Assembly
LAST DAY OF
SCHOOL BEFORE
CHRISTMAS
BREAK
Christmas Eve
30
31
Kwanzaa Begins
***CHRISTMAS BREAK – SCHOOL IS CLOSED***
New Year’s Eve