Kortright Hills Public School
23 Ptarmigan Drive Guelph, Ontario N1C 1B5 (519)827-1601 Fax (519)827-9251
Kirk Runciman, Principal
Julie Young, Vice Principal
Anne Bonnar, Office Co-Ordinator
Rosemary Coghlin, Administrative Assistant
Newsletter for February,2014
From the Principal’s Desk
Busy, Busy, Busy!
KHPS continues to be a very active school beyond
the classrooms. The range of activities currently
underway include boys and girls intermediate
basketball, junior boys basketball, the Knitting Club,
the Drama Club, the Zentangle Club, the Baking Club,
the Performance Dance Club, the Forest of Reading
and the Grade 8 Band. A special thank you to our
staff members who give up a large portion of their
lunch hour and/or time before or after school for
these activities and other opportunities offered
during the year, all for the purpose of enriching the
school experience for our students.
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Kirk Runciman
Principal
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Children learn a range of ways to talk about
calculations (what is the sum of ...?, what is
the total...? etc);
Problem solving provides opportunities for
children to use modal verbs such as might,
could, couldn’t and must to reason and
predict;
Learning about shape and space offers
opportunities to use the language of
comparison (longer, longest, wider than, etc);
and positional language (next to, between, in
the middle of, below, etc);
Data handling and interpretation provides
opportunities for children to formulate
questions as well as interpret and explain
findings;
To explain strategies and reasoning used,
children will need to use logical connectives
(e.g. if...then, therefore, because,
consequently, etc) and time connectives (e.g.
first, then, next, afterwards, finally, etc) to
sequence their explanation;
Oral and mental work in mathematics
provides opportunities for modeling,
rehearsing and using the language of
mathematics;
Teaching Inferencing At Home
How Mathematics Helps Children Learn About
Language
Mathematics offers opportunities to develop
cognitive language as well as subject-specific
vocabulary, which sometimes carries a different
meaning to that of everyday language (e.g. table,
point, difference, etc.)
Talking with your child about everyday life is the
cornerstone for his future success in inferential
thinking. Share the thinking behind your decisions.
Be willing to admit you are not sure about something,
but explain what your thinking is so far. A
conversation like “Look at those dark clouds. I’m
guessing we’re going to get some rain this afternoon”
or “I’m going to stop reading for a minute so we can
think together about what this all means” will help
your child develop his ability to think and infer.
A Warm Welcome from the Library
Our Forest of Reading program has begun. All
Kindergarten - Grade 2 students are participating in
the Blue Spruce program, while over 100 Grade 3 - 8
students have chosen to participate in the Silver
Birch Express, Silver Birch, and Red Maple programs.
If you are interested in viewing the books that have
been nominated this year, please visit our library
website. http://bit.ly/KHPSForest
Seven the Series - Author Visit
Our Grade 7 & 8 students are currently enjoying
reading books from "Seven the Series", a set of
seven novels written by seven Canadian authors, that
tell the stories of seven grandsons sent on personal
quests by their grandfather. Each book has a
different voice and takes us to a different location
where each boy will learn more about their
grandfather's past and discover something
important about themselves too. All seven books tie
together with shared information and experiences,
but the books can be read in any order. Three of
the books in the series have been nominated for the
Red Maple award this year.
Last year we enjoyed a "Rock & Roll" literacy event
with Sigmund Brouwer, author of "Devil's Pass".
This year, we will be hosting Richard Scrimger,
author of "Ink Me", as part of an upcoming literacy
event. As well as having the opportunity to meet
Richard Scrimger at our school, students and
families are also invited to attend an evening event
where all seven authors will be present. I hope to
see you there!
Seven the Series Author Event
Monday, March 3rd
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Centennial CVI
Admission is free to all students and
families!
If you would like to learn more about
the series or the authors, click on the
links below.
Trailer: http://bit.ly/7SeriesTrailer
Website: http://bit.ly/7SeriesSite
Authors:
Richard Scrimger
Sigmund Brouwer
Eric Walters
Ted Staunton
Norah McClintock
John Wilson
Shane Peacock
Thank you for your continued support of our library
programs,
Sheila Morgan
Teacher Librarian
sheila.morgan@ugdsb.on.ca
http://bit.ly/KHPSLibrary
Honouring Black History Month
Every year Canadians are invited to take part in the
festivities and events that
honour the legacy of Black
Canadians, past and present,
during Black History Month.
Black History Month exists to
remind us all of the rich
contributions within our society from people of
African and Caribbean decent, and of their ongoing
struggle for equity and social justice. This is a time
to celebrate the many achievements and
contributions of Black Canadians who, throughout
history, have done so much to make Canada the
culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous
nation we know today. It is also an opportunity for
the majority of Canadians to learn about the
experiences of Black Canadians in our society, and
the vital role this community has played
throughout our shared history.
School Stuff
Homework for Family Trips
Kindergarten Registration will take place Monday,
February 3rd to Friday, February 7th from 9:30 to
12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 to 3:00 pm.
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. 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 birth verification, proof of address and
your child’s immunization record to register.
We have reached the time of year when many
families plan trips to exotic locations. This has
become evident because the number of requests for
homework from teachers has increased sharply.
Parents are asking for work that their child(ren) will
be missing so that they won’t fall behind. Teachers
are not always able to provide this advance work for
students. A valid alternative that
parents should consider is having
their child(ren) complete daily
journals or researching local features.
This is very practical and educational. It also is
something he/she can present to classmates and
teachers when they return to school.
Report Cards
Inclement Weather
Kindergarten Registration
1st Term report cards go home on Friday, February
7th. Please sign and return page
three by Wednesday, February 12th.
Parents wishing an interview can
check off the appropriate box on
page three. Your son/daughter’s
teacher will contact you to set up a time suitable for
both parties.
Family Day Holiday
The Upper Grand District School Board
will be observing Family Day on Monday,
February 17th and our school will be closed. We hope
you enjoy the day with your family!
March Break
Just a reminder that there will be no
classes on Friday, March 7th. This is a
Ministry Mandated Day. The March
Break will follow from Monday, March
10th to Friday, March 14th. School will
resume on Monday, March 17th.
Pita Pit and Subway Lunches Available
To help raise money for the Grade Eight Quebec
trip, lunches can be ordered from Pita Pit or Subway.
Pita Pit orders are delivered on Tuesdays and
Subway lunches are on Wednesdays. Orders can be
made online at www.lunchboxorders.com. Credit card
and debit options are both available. Lunches can be
ordered on a week-by-week basis or several at a
time. Any questions can be directed to Ms. Brindle.
The Grade Eights thank you for your support.
It is a parent’s responsibility to
determine whether or not it is safe for
their child(ren) to leave for school in
inclement or severe weather. Listen to
CJOY 1460 AM, CIMJ 106.1 FM, CKKW 1090 FM or
CHYM 570 AM for weather conditions.
You can also check the Board’s website at
www.ugdsb.on.ca by 6:30 a.m. for information.
If a bus or taxi does not run in the morning, it will
NOT run in the afternoon. If a parent elects to
drive their child to school, they are responsible for
pick up too.
If your child’s bus is cancelled and you are not
driving them to school, please do NOT phone the
school. If your child usually walks to
school and you are keeping them
home due to inclement weather,
please phone the school and leave a
message stating that.
Winter Dressing
We try to go outside for each recess
and we do monitor the weather
carefully. Our students need fresh air and love to
play outside. Students have one outside 15 minute
recess and a 40 minute outside lunch recess each
day. All students are expected to be
outside for fresh air and activity.
Thus, students must dress
appropriately for winter weather.
Thank you to all parents for
providing hats, snowsuits, scarves,
mittens and footwear for your children.
In the event of inclement weather, students will be
supervised inside the school.
Extra Clothes
Student Absence
Now that our weather is turning considerably colder,
it is a good idea to send along
some extra clothes with
your child. An extra pair
of dry socks and an extra
pair of mittens are always good things to
have tucked into the backpack
Please do not send your child to
school when he/she is not
feeling well. Student’s, who
don’t feel well, don’t learn well. If
you are keeping a child home for any reason, please
try to contact the office with that information
before 9:00 a.m. We have an answering machine
that is available every day, 24 hours a day. Please
leave a message at extension #200. We have also
had numerous parent notes requesting that their
child remain inside at recess time as (s)he is still
getting over being ill. In some cases there is a need
for them to stay indoors, i.e., broken limb. Also,
there are times when a doctor’s note is required
stating the reason why your child has to stay
indoors. It is not always possible to supervise these
children during recess and it is expected that all
children will go outside at recess. Please consider
keeping your child at home an extra day so (s)he can
recover and return prepared for the full school day.
Fun in the Snow and Safety
This is a true story.....
A huge snow plow is clearing the
sides of the road when the operator
suddenly spots a child peeking his
head out of a snow bank just a few
yards ahead. A group of children are
playing in a tunnel they made in the show bank while
waiting for their school bus. The plow driver had
time to stop – this time.
Forts and tunnels are fun to build and the size of
snow banks at the edge of the road provides enough
of the white stuff to do this.
Passing snowplows and the debris
and ice they push can spell disaster
for a child who can be buried or
struck indirectly or directly. These
incidents often happen in early morning or evening
when it’s dark and children are playing. Plows are
loud and visibility is limited. Never assume an
operator can see you.
Remember – the edge of the road is not a play
area.
Thanks to the Wellington County OPP for this
message.
Information Updates
Please help us to keep your records upto-date. If your home telephone,
workplace/business and cell phone
numbers change, please contact the
office immediately.
Indoor Shoes
Parents are asked to ensure that all students have
indoor shoes (or running shoes). With the
wet weather outside, it is inevitable
that the floors will occasionally be
wet.
Not only is it unhealthy and dangerous for students
to walk around the floors of the school in socks,
students will not have a chance to change into their
footwear if there is a fire alarm or a drill.
Visitor Reminder
Adults entering the building are asked to come to
the office and sign in. If you are staying
to volunteer or as a visitor for an
event, please pick up and wear the
appropriate badge from the office.
Adults in our building who are not
wearing a visitor’s badge will be asked to return to
the office to sign in.
Class Disruptions
A major goal for staff is not to
disrupt classes during the day.
To assist them in this goal, the
office will keep interruptions to a
minimum. If parents are bringing
in something for their child(ren), please bring these
items to the office with their name and grade on it
or complete the drop-off form provided in the
office. These items will be distributed at recess
breaks throughout the day. Parents picking up
students are asked to come to the office and wait
for their children to meet them.
Adopt-a–Family
Congratulations to all of our Kortright Hills families
who donated to Adopt-a-Family. As a result of your
generosity, we were able to provide our families with
a beautiful Christmas this year. Thanks to all for
your donations.
Grade 8 Parents
An Invitation
Course option sheets for Centennial CVI were sent
home with your children on Monday, January 27th.
Please complete and return them as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please contact your child’s
homeroom teacher. Course option sheets
are also available for College Heights
Secondary School. A parent information
night will be held at Centennial on
Thursday, February 6th at 7:00pm.
The intermediate KHPS Performance Dance Club
invites you to………
Sabrina’s Law
Sabrina’s Law, an Act to Protect
Anaphylactic Pupils came into
effect January 1, 2006. Each
student with a life-threatening allergy
must have a detailed Life Threatening Illness
Management Plan. All staff have copies of these
plans and have training in the administration of the
epi-pen. Parent volunteers must be aware of these
plans as well. If you are volunteering in a classroom,
please check with your child’s teacher about any
students who have a Life Threatening Illness
Management Plan.
Allergies
Many students suffer daily from allergies. Reactions
to allergic substances vary from relatively mild
irritations, such as itchy eyes, sneezing, scratchy
throat, etc., to potentially fatal
conditions where the sufferer
experiences breathing problems
and/or anaphylactic shock. A
student who is allergic to
peanuts often falls in this
second category. There are
students at Kortright Hills P.S. who
react to nuts. Please be aware that
there may be restrictions in your
child’s class to protect a student with
such an allergy. We ask you to abide by any
restriction(s) that may be imposed in these cases
and in the case of nuts or nut products; we ask that
you avoid sending any to school.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Head Lice Watch
Winter is the time of year when head lice is most
common in our school. To try to keep it under
control, we ask parents to periodically check their
children’s hair and inform the school if head lice are
found.
An Evening of Arts and Entertainment
WHEN:
WHERE:
Thursday, February 13th
6:45 to 9:00pm
KHPS Gym
There will be student Dance, Song, Music, and
Artwork, as well as an Afghan Market with afghan
crafts and books for sale. Refreshments will follow
the performances. Tickets are $5.00 each and can
be purchased by contacting Ms Sheila Zanyk at
sheila.zanyk@ugdsb.on.ca
All proceeds will go to The Lantern Fund, a program
of Canadian Women for women in Afghanistan
(CW4WA). Hope to see you there and thanks for
your support.
School Council
The School Council would like to remind parents that
food program installment cheques were deposited
the week of January 13th, 2014. The final
installment will be deposited on April 1st, 2014.
A reminder that our school is participating in The
Lunch Lady this year. Parents can sign their children
up online at any time at www.thelunchlady.ca in
order for them to receive hot lunches once a week.
If all this frigid weather has you thinking about
spring, perhaps you may want to help the School
Council plan the up-coming spring events. Plans are
under way for a spring
fundraiser; more details
on that will be coming
your way shortly. We
have also started to
plan for June’s Ice
Cream Social. We are
looking for ideas for
entertainers for this event. If you have suggestions,
please contact a member of the School Council or
join us for the next council meeting on Monday,
February 24, in the school library at 7:00p.m.
All are welcome!
Making the Difference in Math
Heather Galoska – Elementary Curriculum Leader
With the dip in Provincial and Local EQAO results in Primary and Junior mathematics this year,
Upper Grand is looking to do everything we can to reverse this trend. Although test scores are
an important benchmark for public education, supporting students in being confident, efficient,
fluent, and accurate mathematicians is our ultimate goal. So how can we get there? How can
we best support student learning in mathematics?
As a Board, we’ve identified four main areas that we are focusing on this year that we believe
will make the most significant impact on student learning – Diagnostic Assessment,
Consolidation of Lessons, Student Independent Practice, and the Classroom Environment.
Diagnostic Assessment
If you want to reach a goal, you have to have a plan. And if you want to make an effective plan,
you have to figure out from where you are starting. Diagnostic assessment (or assessment for
learning) is exactly that – figuring out where students are starting from in their learning.
Teachers use diagnostic assessment data to plan the course of learning for their students –
taking time on concepts where there is an identified need, and spending less time on areas of
strength in regards to the curriculum. It informs teachers on what small groups they may need
to bring together for some targeted instruction so that everyone’s learning needs are met to
achieve the Ontario Curriculum expectations.
Diagnostic assessments can take many forms – such as traditional tests or quizzes, studentteacher conferences, a page from a textbook, a math game, a math journal – or a combination
of any of the above. None of it is used to generate report card grades; it is simply to inform the
teacher of each student’s strengths and needs so that they can make an informed plan.
Consolidation
In a three-part math lesson, consolidation is the pivotal moment when the teacher brings
together the learning for his or her students. Quite often student work will be shared, and this
is the time for the teacher to explain and model concepts. All conversation and teaching are
focused on the learning goal of the day as, through student work and teacher examples, the
teacher brings students to the point of understanding and confidence with a particular
mathematical concept.
Independent Practice
“Learning floats on a sea of talk” is a cornerstone philosophy of current educational practice –
and is one of the reasons the three-part math lesson sets aside time for students to work with
partners and participate in classroom discussions about the math they are learning. However,
we know that, although collaborative learning serves a very high purpose, there comes a time
when students must be able to demonstrate their mathematical understanding on their own.
The end of every math lesson finishes with significant time for students to practice what
they’ve learned in the lesson by themselves. The teacher is there for support if needed, but
independent practice is part of the consolidation of the learning – it is the time for students to
practice the skills and habits of mind they are developing, ask questions, and feel comfortable
with the new material.
Classroom Environment
Every classroom is unique space, reflective of the classroom community that works in there
each day. It is important that every student feel safe, welcome, accepted, and respected within
those four walls every day. Without it, learning can’t happen. Building classroom communities,
full of diverse people and personalities, is no small challenge, and we are constantly striving to
create and maintain this dynamic classroom space where every student feels happy and
challenged.
Hand in hand with classroom community is the classroom space itself. Is the classroom a
welcoming space? Are the things posted on the walls helpful for students? Is it easy for
different types of learning to happen in the space? Is the classroom space inspiring? Does the
classroom reflect the community within it? These are the kinds of questions teachers ask
themselves when designing classroom space. We want our classroom spaces to send a
message to everyone who walks through the doors – Hey! Great learning happens here!
Health
February 2014
What a good feeling!
JK/SK Parents - Learn about your child’s eating and activity habits
In February 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.
February 2014
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
2
Groundhog
Day
3
Day 5
4
Day 1
7:30am - Up & Over
Math Gr. 7 & 8’s
5
Day 2
9:00am
Gr. 1 & 2’s River Run
6
Day 3
7
Day 4
Junior Volleyball
Tournament
8
12:40 Mad Science
First Term Reports
Go Home
9
10
Day 5
10:00am Gr 8’s
My Blueprint Training
11
Day 1
7:30am - Up & Over
Math Gr. 7 & 8’s
12
Day 2
12:40 Mad Science
12:40 Mad Science
16
17
FAMILY DAY
SCHOOL CLOSED
23
24
Day 4
12:40 Mad Science
7:00pm School
Council Meeting
13
Day 3
9:00am
Gr. 5 & 6’s River Run
14
Day 4
15
20
Day 2
9:00am
Gr. 7 & 8’s River Run
21
Day 3
22
27
Day 2
10:00am Band
UGEMTA Festival
28
Day 3
March 1
7:00pm Evening of
Arts & Entertainment
18
Day 5
7:30am - Up & Over
Math Gr. 7 & 8’s
19
25
Day 5
7:30am - Up & Over
Math Gr. 7 & 8’s
26
Day 1
12:40 Mad Science
Day 1
12:40 Mad Science
12:00pm Gr.3 Orff
UGEMTA Festival