BRANT AVENUE PUBLIC SCHOOL
64 Brant Avenue, Guelph, Ontario. N1E 1G2
519-824-2671
Fax: 519-824-6159
Mair Ann Gault, Principal
Raffella Alton, Office Coordinator
MARCH 2016
Hello Parents and Guardians: I’m so excited to tell you about an aspect of our School Improvement Plan running from January 2016
to 2017. As a school community we have decided that it vital we continue to build our students’ self-regulation and conflict
resolution skills in order to support their learning. Simply put, if a child is anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, they won’t learn.
Therefore, we are making it a priority to continue helping our students further develop skills to work through these emotions to
increase their learning of the curriculum. I will be sharing various projects we are undertaking in pursuit of this goal over the next
year. Today I want to share “Tools for Life.”
This past month our entire staff has undertaken training in the “Tools for Life” program.
What is “Tools for Life”?
(Tools for Life) “ helps students understand how to gain self-control and self-esteem. (Through the program) children learn how to
listen, communicate respectfully, and ‘read’ their own feelings and those of others. They are equipped with decision-making
strategies and tools so that they can act and react in the best, most constructive way – within the school and beyond. Increasingly
life skills like these are being recognized as crucial for children, helping them to build relationships and to really flourish as learners.
The lessons in the Tools for Life program primarily support learning in the social and emotional domains. However, the knowledge,
understanding and competencies acquired within those domains have positive effects on other aspects of child development. Tools
for Life supports learners and learning by nurturing a climate of respect, collaboration and safety in classrooms, hallways,
playgrounds and neighbourhoods. The lessons and activities presented in each module of Tools for Life provide a scaffolding that
allow children in a safe environment to practice identifying, expressing and redirecting their feelings, emotions and reactions in
appropriate ways. The lessons and teaching/learning activities provide a resource for teachers and youth care professionals that
can be followed as is, or they can be adapted to suit the needs of specific groups of children. Lessons complement one another. The
focus or competency of most lessons can be revisited or extended with some or all learners by a simple change of scenario or
strategy.” (Taken from the Tools for Life website - http://toolsforliferesources.com)
Starting after the Easter Break, our staff will be conducting lessons with our students using the “Tools for Life” program. There will
be handouts coming home for parents relating to the lessons. Additionally, CMHA will be offering an eight week parenting course
st
around using “Tools for Life” in your home. The course will run Thursdays, beginning March 31 . It will be held at the school from
4:00 to 5:15 pm. It will be free of charge. No babysitting will be available. If you are interested and willing to commit to attending all
eight weeks of the program, please call Mrs. Gault at the school (519) 824-2671. There is very limited space, and we might have a
waitlist, so please call soon.
As we roll out the program over the next year, watch for information coming your direction. And most importantly, watch your
children using their new “tools”!
P.S. If you want to learn more there are several short videos explaining the program at the link below:
http://toolsforliferesources.com
Sincerely,
Mair Ann Gault - Principal, Brant Avenue Public School
Attend a public information session on Upper
Grand’s French Review
The Upper Grand District School Board is
holding four public meetings to provide the
public with information on the board’s French
Review. The meetings will provide information
on the problems, alternatives and
recommendations described in the report
prepared by the French Review Committee. All
are welcome to attend. For meeting dates and
to read the French Review report,
visit www.ugdsb.on.ca/frenchreview.
STUDENT SAFETY
Please note that the staff parking
lot is not to be used for parents
either dropping off or picking up
children at the beginning and
end of the school day. Thank
you for keeping our children
safe.
NEIGHBOURHOOD GROUP SNACK
PROGRAM
The Neighbourhood Group is offering extra
school snacks. Additional information is in
their attached newsletter.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
If your child will be
new to the school and
you have not had a
chance to register for
junior or senior
kindergarten as of yet, please do so as soon as
possible. In addition, if you have a new
neighbour, please pass on this message to them
so that they register quickly.
LOST AND FOUND
The clothing and sundry items
in the overflowing lost and
found boxes located in both
the primary and junior cloakroom will be
cleaned out before March Break. If you know of
missing items belonging to your child(ren),
please come and check through the lost and
found boxes before March 11th. Any unclaimed
articles will be donated to a local charity at
during the break.
MOVING
Planning for the 2016-17 school year is already
underway. If you will be moving this summer,
or know of someone moving into the school
area, please notify the office as soon as
possible. This will help with the organization of
teachers and classrooms at Brant Avenue.
COUGHS, COLDS, SORE STOMACHS AND
MORE!
Children who do not feel well
do not learn well. If your child
is feeling sick, please keep
him/her at home for the day.
We do not have the facilities or
staff available to supervise
children too ill to go outdoors at recess times. If
your child becomes sick at school, we will make
every attempt to contact you at home or work.
Please keep us informed if your contact phone
numbers change.
EXTRA SOCKS, DRY PANTS AND SHOES
Students are reminded to bring
extra socks, pants or rain pants to
the school at this time of year as
the snow melts and the
playground becomes muddy. A
pair of indoor shoes is also a must
for all students, as the floors are often wet
following recess.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
March is almost upon us
and should bring on very
changeable weather, which
could include snow, ice
and/or fog.
It is the parent’s
responsibility to determine
whether or not it is safe for his or her child to
leave for school in inclement 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 they know
what to do and where to go if their bus is
more than 15 minutes late.
Remember to listen to CJOY 1460 AM or
Magic 106.1 FM in the event of inclement
weather.
They will broadcast bus cancellations or
school closures.
You can also check the Board
website: www.ugdsb.on.ca or the
Transportation website :
http://www.stwdsts.ca/
by 6:30 AM each day.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
We would like to invite you to attend our next
school council meeting scheduled for Thursday,
March 10th from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Please come
out and join us.
REMINDER
Please remember to call
the school if your child
will be absent or late for
school. Our answering
machine is on 24/7. It can
take many phone calls to ensure that 1 child is
at home sick. We are required to make contact
with the parents of each child that we have not
heard from. Your support in assisting in
reducing the number of calls that are necessary
would be greatly appreciated.
VISITOR/VOLUNTEER REMINDER
If you are volunteering at Brant Ave. P.S.
please enter through the front doors only and
go directly to the office to sign the visitor book
and obtain a visitor’s badge while you are here.
Even if you are only in the school for a
moment, your tag must be clearly visible. A
major goal for staff and students is to minimize
class disruptions during the school day. If you
need to give your child the rare, forgotten lunch
or binder, please drop it off at the office and we
would be happy to make sure they receive it.
We appreciate your help in keeping our school
safe!
DROPPING STUDENTS AT SCHOOL
Recently, a number of parents have been taking
their students to their classroom after the
morning bell has run. This is a reminder that
parents need to drop late students at the office
to report in and get a late slip from the office.
Unless your child has a special education plan
requiring that a parent/guardian picks them up
or drops them off to their classroom, all children
should be picked up and dropped off outside. If
your child is late, she/he can sign into the office
and get a late slip and school staff will ensure
he/she gets to their classroom. This assists us
greatly with our Safe Arrival Program.
LIVE FREE CAMPAIGN
Live Free For Those Who Live Without...
Friday March 4th, 2016.
Every day, many children in our community live
without the basic necessities that many of us
take for granted. Often these children go to
school without the proper nutrition to allow
them to focus on their class work. Put simply,
they are too hungry to learn. But this can
change and you can make a difference. March
4th Brant Avenue Public School took part in the
“Live Free Challenge”. Students and staff were
challenged to “Live free” of something they take
for granted every day. The challenge took place
on Friday March 4th, and students were asked
to give up something they like or enjoy for the
whole day as part of the “Live Free Challenge”.
Students were asked to donate a Toonie to the
campaign to show their support for Food and
Friends program in our area. If your child forgot
it is not too late to donate. All the money
donated by Brant Avenue students will go
directly towards our school’s snack program!!
Thanks for your participation!!
Amy Fonte
Child and Youth Counsellor
MARCH BREAK
March break will run from March 14th – March
18h. Students will return to school on Monday,
March 21st.
If you are withdrawing your child(ren) before or
after the March Break for an extended family
vacation, please be sure to inform the school.
Have a wonderful March Break with your
family!
BRANT WANDERING CHEFS
Third Wednesday of the month, 4:30-6:30 pm,
Community Kitchen at New Life Church on
400 Victoria Street North.
*Childcare is provided*
This month it will be held on
Wednesday March 16th, 2016
-
Turn food from a Garden Fresh Box into
a healthy, delicious meal
Enjoy good food with your neighbours
Learn cooking skills and recipes
Get tips on healthy eating
Children are welcome to attend this
program with their parent or caregiver too!
To reserve a spot please contact:
Peggy or Kelsey at 519-821-6638
MATH GAMES TO PLAY AT HOME
Do you read with your child every night? Is
it a positive experience that creates a love of
reading between you and your child?
Do you play a fun math game with your child
every night? Is it a positive experience that
creates a love of math between you and your
child?
Does your child bring home a library book from
school? Does your child bring home a math
game from school?
Did you answer these questions differently? Do
you view reading differently than math? Are
you looking for a way to make practicing math
skills at home more fun and exciting for your
child? There are lots of online computer games
and apps that make practicing math skills more
engaging for your child.
Beginning this month, and from now until June
we will be including some math games in our
newsletter that you can play at home with your
children. Math continues to be a focus at our
school and within our board and we hope it will
be a focus for you at home as well.
1. “Race to 10, 50 or 100” Roll the dice
and add up each turn. First one to 10,
50 or 100 wins. Multiply the numbers
for older students.
2. “Guess my number” Place a sticky note
on your child’s back and have them
guess the number by asking only yes/no
questions (Is it bigger than 500, is it
odd/even, etc.)
3. Play dominos, cribbage or yahtzee
HELP YOUR CHILD TO BE MORE RESILIENT
Life can be stressful for both children and their
parents. When children learn how to handle
challenging situations in positive ways and to
bounce back after a negative experience they
become more resilient. Resilient people are
happier, healthier and more successful in life.
Children learn resiliency skills from the adults in
their lives. Here are some ideas to help you to
build resilience in your child:
1. Build a caring and trusting relationship:
listen to your child and talk about their
day, share cuddles or hugs, play or do
activities together.
2. Think positive: each evening ask your
child to share a positive thing that
happened during their day. You could
share something positive that
happened in your day too!
3. Gently challenge your child’s negative
thinking: If your child has had a
stressful experience, acknowledge their
feelings and help your child see that
experience as only one of many things
that happened that day: “It sounds as if
Max really hurt your feelings by not
inviting you to play hockey. Did you play
with him at another time? Did you play
with some of your other friends?”
4. Build confidence: allow your child to do
things independently as often as
possible; such as getting dressed ,
helping to make dinner, wrapping a
birthday gift, helping with a chore. Only
give guidance if absolutely necessary.
5. Allow your child to feel that he or she
has control over his or her life: allow
your child to make age-appropriate
decisions, such as what to wear, a
choice of what to have in their lunch
(“would you like a banana or yogurt?”),
what book to read before bedtime,
what movie to watch on the weekend.
6. Model and practice calming: When you
are dealing with a difficult situation
show your child how you calm yourself
down. Practice calming with your child
(deep breathing, counting to 10, going
to a quiet place).
7. Model coping: when you have a
problem, talk to your child about how
you solved the problem calmly. What
did you think about as you were solving
your problem?
8. Build your child’s coping strategies:
Help your child think through a
challenge. Help your child to know that
the issue is just temporary and that he
or she can solve the problem. Support
your child in coming up with a solution.
In supporting your child in building resiliency
skills you are developing a positive outlook that
will last a lifetime. For more information on
resiliency please go to the website below.
Source: Reaching In, Reaching out
Website: http://www.reachinginreachingout.c
om/resources-parents.htm
TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH –
ANGER AND CALM
When one of my children was about 8 years old,
he had a lot of anger in him. He would shout,
slam things, throw things, break things and
stomp about. When he got very angry, it was
upsetting for all of us, but particularly for him.
He did not like the way he felt when was angry,
but it seemed to come on so fast. He would
quickly feel out of control and then feel upset
afterward about what had happened. So, when
he was calm, we talked about his anger. We
drew pictures and read stories about dealing
with anger. And he told me “Mom, when I am
angry, don’t talk to me, just let me go to my
room and be angry, when I feel less angry I will
talk to you”. So the next time, he was angry and
started yelling, I started to say “What is making
you so angry?”, but he stopped me and said
“Mom, you promised you wouldn’t talk to me
when I am angry and would let me just go to my
room”. It was hard not to try to solve the
problem, but I let him just go to his room and
yell and throw things. After about 30 minutes,
he came down and we talked about what was
up. He knew he did not like being angry and
needed to gain some more skills to be able to
deal with his anger. He decided he wanted to do
meditation to help with his anger, which he did,
and over time, it helped a lot.
We all get angry. Different things set off
different people. We all have our pet peeves
and our easy triggers. Often our child/youth
know how easy some of our buttons are to
push. When our child/youth gets angry, it is
hard not to get upset and respond in anger. But
we all know that does not usually result in the
best outcome. Here are some tips for dealing
with anger in your child/youth and yourself.
1. Don’t respond to anger with anger. It
is hard not to, but yelling at our
child/youth when they get angry makes
everyone feel out of control and
increases the anger. No one likes the
feeling of being out of control. The best
thing you can do is remain calm and not
feed the fire of the anger. Have
compassion for your child and how they
are feeling.
2. Don’t try to reason with an angry
person. When someone is angry, they
are not able to process what you are
saying. Their brain space and energy is
taken up by the anger and they don’t
have much space left to think, process
and reason. Instead, wait to have the
conversation until you have both
calmed down.
3. Pay attention to how you are reacting.
When dealing with someone who is
4.
5.
6.
7.
angry, often our heart rate increases
and the adrenaline begins to pump.
The trick is for you to have already
practiced how to stay calm, so when
you are in these challenging situations,
you know how to calm yourself. By
staying calm, you are not engaging in a
power struggle, which escalates the
anger.
Allow your child/youth time to be
angry. Allow them a safe place to let off
steam. So long as they are not hurting
themselves or others, let them be angry
and safely calm down. It also teaches
them that feeling angry is OK and we
can learn how to process our anger in a
safe way.
Give consequences for the behaviour,
not the emotion. Teach your
child/youth that whatever they feel is
OK and it is OK to feel frustrated and
angry. However, there are still rules and
consequences. Don’t negotiate or
change the rules when trying to get an
angry child to calm down. In the
moment, the focus is on calming
strategies. After the child is calm, then a
have a discussion of safe ways to
express anger.
Take a break. For most of us, we need a
break from the person and situation, so
allow your child to take a break. This
helps our kids to calm down and also
allows ourselves to calm down as well.
Make a plan. When everyone is calm,
talk with your child/youth about what
helps them stay calm and what calms
them down when they are upset.
Create a plan of what things the
child/youth finds calming and empower
them to use those strategies. It could be
music, breathing exercises, relaxation
exercises, physical activity, drawing or
just being on their own for a bit.
Whatever works for them is included in
the plan. Calming strategies that a
child/youth will use when angry need to
be taught and practiced regularly, so
they can be used when the situation
arises. Include strategies to keep calm
and decrease frustration and then what
to do when they feels really angry.
Having a plan makes you and your
child/youth feel like you have some
control over the anger. The child/youth
knows that the anger does not control
them, because they know what to do
when it happens.
8. Role model appropriate responses to
anger. Show your child/youth how you deal
with anger. You can say things such as “I am
getting frustrated, so I am going to take a
break” or “I can’t talk to you right now,
because I am upset. I am going to calm
down then we can talk”. Admitting that you
are angry and need to calm down is not a
weakness. It takes strength to talk about
your feelings. You are teaching your
children the lesson that it is good to talk
about your feelings and that we can
manage our anger by using our coping skills.
Here is a link to a great video of kids
explaining what it feels like to be angry and
how breathing helps:
Just Breathe. by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh
Salzman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVA2N6tX
2cg
Dr. Lynn Woodford is the Mental Health and
Addiction Lead for Upper Grand District School
Board
Follow me on twitter: @drlynnwoodford
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM
WELLINGTON-DUFFERIN-GUELPH PUBLIC
HEALTH:
YOUR CHILD’S IMMUNIZATION DURING A
DISEASE OUTBREAK
For school attendance, parents are required
by law to provide proof of their child’s
immunization to Public Health. To find out
what vaccines are required and if your
child’s immunizations records are up-todate, please call 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4396.
You can also book an appointment for your
child’s immunization at any WellingtonDufferin-Guelph Public Health Location.
If you’ve chosen not to immunize your child,
you must have a notarized statement of
medical exemption or a statement of
conscious or religious belief on file with
Public Health. Please contact Public Health
at 10800-265-7293 ext. 4396 to arrange for
your child’s exemption to be on file if you
have not already done so. If the Medical
Officer of Health declares an outbreak of a
disease in your child’s school and his/her
immunization record is not up-to-date with
Public Health, or you have an exemption on
file, your child will not be allowed to attend
school for the entire duration of the
outbreak.
Assistive technologies to support all learners including
Kurzweil and Read&Write for Google
Robotics and coding and virtual reality in the
classroom demonstrations
UGDSB invites parents to learn about classroom
technology at ‘Digital Saturday
The Upper Grand District School Board is hosting an
open house featuring displays and workshops on how
students are using technology to learn. “Digital
Saturday” takes place on March 5, 2016, from 9 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. at Westminster Woods Public School in
Guelph.
“In the last few years there has been exponential
growth in the use of technological tools and resources
in Upper Grand schools,” said Brent McDonald,
Superintendent of Education responsible for
Information Technology. “Students don’t stop using
what they’re learning as soon as the bell rings at the
end of the day. A good number of these resources are
available 24/7, so they’re used at home and school.”
A presentation on technology in the classroom to the
board’s Parent Involvement Committee was the
inspiration for the idea of hosting a technology open
house for all parents.
“We thought a Saturday morning would be the best
time for both parents to come out and see what we’re
doing,” said McDonald. “Students can come too.”
Digital Saturday will be an opportunity to explore and
learn about:
New technologies in the classroom like Chromebooks,
UGCloud
Online digital resources for assisting student learning
such as UG2GO, UGCloud and Homework Help
There will be lots of opportunities for interaction and
co-learning. Older children (8 and up) may find the
display tables and workshops informative and
engaging.
We hope to see you there as partners in education!
Event details:
DATE: Saturday March 5, 2016
TIME: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Open house closes at 12
p.m.
LOCATION: Westminster Woods Public School, 140
Goodwin Drive, Guelph
For more information:
Heather Loney, Communications and Community
Engagement Officer
519-822-4420 ext.725
heather.loney@ugdsb.on.ca
Free to Play Program
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and
Wellington’s Free to Play Program can help
low-income families pay for their children’s
recreational activities, such as sports, camps
and the arts. Up to $400 per child per year is
available for youth from birth through to 18
years who live in Guelph or Wellington
County and fall below the low-income cut
off. Applying is easy and confidential. Go
to: www.childrensfoundation.org/free-toplay or call 519-826-9551, ext 23.
The Friendship Place
35 Algonquin Drive
Guelph, OntarioN1E 3P2
Tel: 519-821-9243 Fax: 519-821-7519
Email: brant.ave.ng@gmail.com
Website: www.brantave.org
Office Hours: Tues -Thu, 9-12 & 1-3
March 2016
Ontario Electricity Support Program
Low-Income households can receive a credit on each
electricity bill. The amount will depend on how many
people live in your home and your combined
household income. Find out more at
OntarioElectricitySupport.ca. Forms can also be
completed at The Friendship place by a registered
OESP agent. Please call us for more details and to book
an appointment time at 519-821-9243
_______________________________________
Polar Bear Club:
Youth Programming (2 different age group
sessions)
SK- Grade 3(MONDAY 3:15PM-4:30PM)
Grades 4-6(MONDAY 4:45PM-6:00PM)
@ Brant Ave. Public School
_________________________________________
Coffee Hour
Please join Dianne, Public Health Nurse and Katie,
Parent Outreach Worker at Friendship Place on March
10th from 1:00 until 3:00pm during coffee hour. Light
Snack and coffee provided.
Please call Katie (519) 362-6362 for more
information.
_________________________________________
BRANT COLLECTIVE
KITCHEN
Cost is $4 per one serving of all 4
dishes. Child care and subsidy are
available. Please call to register.
Next Date March 23rd 9:30am at New Life Church.
2015 Tax season support
Please contact Lynne at the
Neghbourhood group if you
need Help with your tax
preparations to see if you
qualify for free assistance!
Parent Child Place at Brant
Ave Public School:
Looking for a place to
spend some time with your
child (ages 0 – 6)?
A free drop-in program that includes free play,
creative activities and a circle time with songs and
stories.
Also find parenting information on topics such as
child development, toilet training, nutrition and
more
.
Mondays
from
community room.
9:30-11:30
in
the
Brant Zumba:
Our great Zumba leader would love to have
more Brant neighbours joining her
for free Zumba! Tuesdays evenings, 6:307:30 pm, Brant School Gym. Young or
older, singles or families, any level of fitness or ability –
come out and move to the music at your own pace. A
great way to have fun, make new friends, and get fit.
___________________________________
Brant Yoga - Every Monday
6:15-7:15pm
Stretch, tone, and relax your body at
free weekly Yoga, Mondays from
6:15-7:15pm, at Brant Avenue
Public School
Please Like us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BrantAvenueN
eighbourhoodNews/?fref=ts
Youth Empowerment
Program
This free program runs from
6pm-9pm on Thursdays at Brant Avenue Public
School for youth in grades 7 to 12. The program
consists of life skill building sessions along with
fun activities such as team building games,
cooking, art, drama and yoga.
To sign up for more information please contact:
Andrew Gillette at 226-500-4212 or
drew.gillette@gmail.com
____________________________
Neighbourhood Group Morning Meal
Program
The Friendship Place is offering
extra school snacks for school age
children JK – grade 12. Families are
able to access the morning meal program
twice monthly on Tuesday, Wednesday or
Thursday between 1 and 3pm. These include
fresh fruits and vegetables, yogurt, cheese and
grain products. Please call or drop by for
more information.
Brant Avenue Indigo Girls
Club (grade 6 – 8)!
Indigo Girls is a program
centered on educating and
discussing issues surrounding girl's in society today
both locally and globally. We offer a safe, nonjudgmental, and supportive space to learn and
engage together. Through interactive workshops,
visiting local speakers, open discussions, and
facilitated activities the girls will learn about the
many topics surrounding the Indigo Girl's mission
of 'inspiring the young female leaders of today.'
To learn more check out our website
at: http://indigogirlsguelph.wix.com/indigogirls
Brant Community Garden:
It’s never too early to think of Spring! Let
Lynne know if you want to be part of the
2016 Brant Community Garden – we have
already started planning!
_______________________________
Wandering Chefs
March 16th from 4:30-6:30
Come out and enjoy good food with your
neighbours, learning cooking skills, and turn a
garden Fresh Box into a healthy delicious meal!
Please call Peggy or Kelsey at 519-821-6638 to
resister.
400 Victoria Rd North At New life Church
_________________________________________
Easter Egg Hunt And Garden Party
Please join us at Brant Ave Public School
in the front yard
for the Brant Avenue Neighbourhood Group’s
Easter Egg Hunt for ages 0 – 12
Saturday March 26th
10:45 am (please no earlier)
Event is Free!!
Please bring your own basket!!
Happy Easter!!
Following the Easter egg hunt join us in the gym
for the Brant Ave NG Garden Festival from
11:00am - 1:00 pm
_____________________________________
Free Fruits and
Vegetables
Garden fresh is available March
16th at the Friendsip Place
from 1-3pm as well as 6:30 –
7:30pm.
Free fresh fruits and vegetables are also available
for families in need at the new North End
Harvest Market - Every Wednesday
Can be accessed every other week
TIME: 6:00 to 7:30
LOCATION: Small parking lot beside
Waverley Drive School at 140 Waverley Drive.
In portable # 6 if the weather is bad