Kortright Hills Public School
23 Ptarmigan DriveGuelph, OntarioN1C 1B5(519)827-1601Fax (519)827-9251
Kirk Runciman, Principal
Anne Bonnar, Office Co-Ordinator
Julie Young, Vice Principal
Rosemary Coghlin, Administrative Assistant
Newsletter for December,2013
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 season and all the best in 2014!
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Books don’t have to be assembled.
Books don’t need batteries.
Books never come in the wrong size or colour.
Books don’t need spare parts.
Books don’t need to be serviced by a dealer.
Books don’t need watering or fertilizer.
Books don’t need extension cords.
Books don’t have zippers that break.
Books don’t bite, scratch or kick.
Books don’t go out of style.
*Don’t forget to attend the Scholastic Book Fair, in
the school library, on Family Fun Day!
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 extra curricular options for
students is the Photography Club, the Tech Club, boys
and girls volleyball and soccer, Mad Science, Primary
Choir, touch football, book clubs, Drama
Club, Grade 8 Band, Performance Dance Club, crosscountry running and We Day. 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 their mind or
body.
Why is my child talking so much during math?
In the new mathematics curriculum, there
is a strong emphasis on students
communicating mathematically. Students
will be involved in reading and writing
about, listening to, representing, viewing and
discussing mathematical ideas. These involvements
allow students to connect their own ideas and language
to the symbols and language of mathematics. Students
will be talking during math class, which may be
different from the math classes that you remember!
To communicate mathematically means to
• use words or mathematical symbols to explain
real life.
• to talk about how you arrived at an answer.
• to listen to others‛ ways of thinking and perhaps
alter your own thinking.
• to use pictures to explain something.
• to write about math, not just give an answer.
You might remember from math class when you were a
child that you were to “show your work”. Today,
students are expected to “show their thinking”, which
is very different! Showing steps and explaining one‛s
thinking both have a place in a mathematics class.
Showing one‛s steps is a well-established practice, but
explaining one‛s thinking is an
important part of doing mathematics
that should be included when
learning any math concept. Explaining
one‛s thinking has the following
benefits:
• A student uses a strategy that makes sense to
him/her.
• A student learns from hearing and/or watching
other students’ strategies.
• There are often many ways to approach a math
problem, so the process captures the nature of real
mathematics.
• A student is in the role of mathematician rather
than just an observer.
• This practice accommodates different learning
styles and different backgrounds.
• A student is not imitating the teacher, but
inventing. This higher-level thinking process
involves truly “doing mathematics”.
When students are showing their thinking, they are
communicating mathematically! Communicating in math
takes lots of practice; students improve over time!
Welcome from the Library
Have you completed your Christmas shopping yet?
Please consider shopping at our
upcoming book fair. Books make great
gifts and up to 60% of every purchase
is returned to our school.
The Scholastic Book Fair arrives Thursday, December
5th. Students will be visiting the Library on Friday for
a preview, and sales will begin after school on Friday,
December 6th. Please drop by the library on
Saturday, December 7th during the Family Fun Day
event. Sales will continue until Wednesday, December
11th.
Fri., Dec. 6th
Sat.,Dec. 7th
Mon.,Dec. 9th
Tues.,Dec. 10th
Wed.,Dec. 11th
3:20 pm - 4:30 pm
10am - 1 pm Family Fun Day
8:00 am - 10:30 am,
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
8:00 am - 10:30 am,
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
8:00 am - 10:30 am
Thanks in advance for supporting this Literacy fundraiser 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!
Sheila Morgan
Teacher Librarian
sheila.morgan@ugdsb.on.ca
Library website:
https://sites.google.com/a/ugcloud.ca/khpslibrarylearning-commons/
School Stuff
Date to Remember
Just a reminder that there will be no classes on
Friday, December 20th. This is a Ministry Mandated
Day. The Christmas break will follow and classes will
resume on January 6th, 2014.
Adopt-a-Family
In light of the approaching holiday season, the staff
at Kortright Hills has decided to
continue their participation in
charitable giving. We have decided to
participate in the Adopt-a-Family
project at Christmas time this year.
We are adopting 3 families and each division in the
school, primary, junior and intermediate will be
responsible for raising funds to purchase the gifts and
food vouchers for each family. As we learn more about
our families, the students will begin their fund raising
activities.
Lost and Found
Our lost and found is nearing capacity! Items will be
on display in the main foyer on Saturday,
December 7th 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 Thursday, December 19th
will be taken to the Salvation Army.
Before and After School Supervision
The playground is supervised by staff beginning at
8:25 am. 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.
Safe Arrival - Notifying the School of a
Student Absence
The rules of the Safe Arrival program state that the
school must know why a student is not present on any
particular day. This means that
school secretaries will continue
to try to contact parents until
one is reached. Please assist us
by notifying the office, either
by calling at 519-827-1601 ext
200 or by sending a note. It is
important that the office is notified if your child(ren)
will be absent or late. The office will then inform the
teacher.
Morning Attendance
Please help your child to be at school when the bell
rings – 8:45 am for Intermediates, 8:50 am
for JK – 6 students. 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
Late students need to get a late slip from the office.
This assists us greatly with our Safe
Arrival Program. All adults must first
sign-in at the office before proceeding
into the rest of the building. Please
help us 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 pick-up
point, please make sure he/she knows 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
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 of their
child(ren’s) absence when the buses/taxis are
cancelled. If, however parents of bus students drive
their child(ren) in the morning, they must also pick
them up at 3:20 p.m.
For students who walk to school, you are asked to
leave a message on the 24 hr attendance line
(519 827-1601 ext. 200) to inform the school of any
absence or late arrival during bus/ taxi cancellations.
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.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration will take place during the
week of February, 3rd – 7th 2014.
To register for Junior Kindergarten your child must be
four years old on or before December
31st, 2014.
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, 2014. In
September 2014 Kortright Hills will start FDK full
time Kindergarten. 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 and
proof of address 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 2nd and will continue until
Wednesday, December 11th .
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.
Safety Patrollers & Winter
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.
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.
Snowballs
With the cold weather comes the
falling of snow. Snow is a very
fun part of the winter season
for our students, however, it
can generate trouble if it is
not used appropriately. Please help us remind our
students that snow stays on the ground at school, and
if they pick up snow, they pick up trouble!
Bullying: It’s Up to Everyone to Stop It!
From School Council
Bullying is:
On behalf of the school council, we would like to thank
everyone for their tremendous support of our Fall
fundraiser. It was a big success, netting $8237.47.
•
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
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
•
Report it using the Online Bullying Reporting
Tool
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.
The contest winners were:
Classroom pizza party - Ms. Holland's Grade 4 Class
Winner of an iPod Touch - Nikolas Anastasakos
Winner of the iPad - Chase Heaslip
The Family Fun Day will be held on Saturday,
December 7th from 10:00am-1:00pm. This year
proceeds raised from our raffle table will go to
support the “Meals on Wheels” program.
There will be performances from
Grade 3 Orff (10:30am), Primary Choir
(11:30am) and the School Band
(11:30am). There will be a bake table, a
raffle table, a Gingerbread House draw, refreshments,
entertainment, a craft table,
and the Scholastic Book
Fair. This is also when
poinsettia orders can be
picked up. It will be a
wonderful event, so please come out to
support a great charity and have fun while doing it! We
are always looking for volunteers to help out at these
events, so please contact us if you are interested in
volunteering at the Family Fun Day.
It will be a fun event, and we hope to see you there.
The next council meeting with be held at 6:30 pm on
Monday, December 16th, 2013 at Fionn MacCool’s, 494
Edinburgh Rd S.
Have a Safe &
Happy Holiday
Season
December 2013
SUNDAY
1
MONDAY
2
Day 2
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
3
Day 3
Gd 8’s to College Heights
Gd 8’s to Centennial
Gd 6’s to Crawford Lake
4
Day 4
9:00 Gd 1 & 2’s to
River Run
THURSDAY
5
Day 5
All Day Event
Book Fair
Arrives
FRIDAY
6
Day 1
All Day Event
Book Fair
Previews
9
Day 2
Book Fair
Open
10
Day 3
Book Fair
Open
11
Day 4
7
12
Day 5
13
18
Day 4
Oral Screening for
Kindergarten & Gd 2’s
12:40 Mad Science
Christmas Assembly
P.M.
19
Day 5
Christmas
Assembly A.M.
20
25 Christmas Day
Merry Christmas
26 Boxing Day
Day 1
14
Book Fair
Open
12:40 Mad Science
15
22
16
23
Day 2
17
Day 3
Oral Screening for
Kindergarten & Gd 2’s
24
Christmas Eve
30
31
New Year’s Eve
Jan 1
New Year’s Day
Happy New Year
21
MINISTRY
MANDATED DAY
NO CLASSES
27
*****CHRISTMAS BREAK SCHOOL IS CLOSED*****
2
All Day Event
Book Fair
Open
9:00 FAMILY FUN
DAY
12:40 Mad Science
8
SATURDAY
2
*****CHRISTMAS BREAK SCHOOL IS CLOSED*****
3
28
Health
December 2013
What a good feeling!
Learn about positive parenting strategies, community resources and programs.
Parents can call and speak with a public health nurse about parenting, child development and health related
topics up to age 13 by calling KIDS LINE 1-800-265-7293 ext. 3616. KIDS LINE is also the access point
for Growing Great Kids which coordinates services from many local agencies for children zero to six who
have special physical, social, emotional, communication and development needs. Speak with a public
health nurse Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. www.wdgpublichealth.ca/?q=parents