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 Co-ordinator
December 2015
PLEASE NOTE: Our Monthly newsletters are always posted on our school website,
where you will be able to activate all internet links live as needed.
said: "All children are gifted, some just open their
packages later than others. "You can play a crucial role
in awakening latent talents or developing current
strengths through experiences you give your child at
home. Here are 50 ways for you to bring out your child's
best, regardless of how his gifts are packaged:
1. Let your child discover her own interests. Pay
attention to the activities she chooses. This free-time play
can say a lot about where her gifts lie.
“At Brant Avenue Public School we treat others the way we
want to be treated, persevere, learn from our mistakes and
share our gifts.”
Two years ago at Brant Ave. Public School we kicked off
our school motto. The first part of the motto “treat others
the way we want to be treated” was the focus. Last year
we added to “how we treat others”, “persevere and learn
from our mistakes.” This year we are focusing on the final
piece of our motto “share our gifts.” I found an interesting
article on line about how we can encourage our children in
this pursuit. The article can be found at:
http://www.institute4learning.com/articles/50_ways.php
50 Ways to Bring Out Your Child's Best
by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
(first published in Family Circle, February 2, 1993)
Richard loved to tinker with mechanical devices. As a 6-year-old,
he took apart an alarm clock. At 9, he helped his dad fix the lawn
mower. In high school, he spent hours tearing apart and rebuilding
stereo equipment. Now, as a young adult, he's a sound technician
for a professional theater company. Richard's parents encouraged
his interests at an early age, which helped him become a
successful adult. However, Richard was never labeled as "gifted."
In fact, he had trouble with math in school. The definition of "the
gifted child" has traditionally been based on school-related skills
and limited to the upper 5 to 10 percent of children who achieve
high test scores, write well and excel academically. These are
certainly important, but there may be hundreds of other ways for
children to show their gifts. "Today's intelligence researchers
emphasize that nearly all children-not just the celebrated 5
percent-have special talents, "says David G. Myers, Ph.D.,
professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland,
Michigan. Studies at Harvard University bear this out, suggesting
that kids can display intelligence in many different ways-through
words, numbers, music, pictures, athletic or "hands-on" abilities,
and social or emotional development. ways-through words,
numbers, music, pictures, athletic or "hands-on" abilities, and
social or emotional development. As an anonymous observer once
2. Expose your child to a broad spectrum of
experiences. They may activate latent talents. Don't
assume that he isn't gifted in an area because he hasn't
shown an interest.
3. Give your child permission to make mistakes. If she
has to do things perfectly, she'll never take the risks
necessary to discover and develop a gift.
4. Ask questions. Help your child open up to he wonders
of the world by asking intriguing questions: Why is the sky
blue? Find the answers together.
5. Plan special family projects. Shared creativity can
awaken and develop new talents.
6. Don't pressure your child to learn. If children are sent
to special lessons every day in the hope of developing
their gifts, they may become too stressed or exhausted to
shine. Encourage, but don't push.
7. Have high expectations. But make them realistic.
8. Share your work life. Expose your child to images of
success by taking him to work. Let him see you engaged
in meaningful activities and allow him to become involved.
9. Provide a sensory-rich environment. Have materials
around the home that will stimulate the senses: finger
paints, percussion instruments and puppets
10. Keep your own passion for learning alive. Your child
will be influenced by your example.
11. Don't limit your child with labels. They may saddle her
with a reputation that doesn't match her inner gifts.
12. Play games together as a family.
13. Have a regular family time for reading, listening to
music, talking.
14. Have reference materials available to give your child
access to the world.
15. Allow your child to participate in community activities
that interest her.
34. Use community events and institutions to activate
interests. Take trips to the library, museums, concerts,
plays.
35. Give presents that nourish your child's strengths.
36. Encourage your child to think about her
future. Support her visions without directing her into
any specific field.
16. Use humor, jokes, silly stories to encourage creativity.
17. Don't criticize or judge the things your child does. He
may give up on his talents if he feels evaluated.
18. Play with your child to show your own sense of
playfulness.
19. Share your successes as a family. Talk about good
things that happened during the day to enhance selfesteem.
20. Provide your child with access to a home, school or
public library computer.
37. Introduce your child to interesting and capable
people.
38. Think of your home as a learning place. The kitchen
is great for teaching math and science through cooking.
39. Share feelings. A child's gifts can be stifled by
repressed emotions.
40. Encourage your child to read.
41. Honor your child's creations.
42. Do things with your child in his areas of interest.
21. Listen to your child. The things he cares about most
may provide clues to his special talents.
43. Teach your child to trust her intuition and believe in
her capabilities.
22. Give your child a special space at home to be creative.
23. Praise your child's sense of responsibility at home
when she completes assigned chores.
24. Visit new places as a family.
25. Give your child open-ended playthings. Toys like
blocks and puppets encourage imaginative play.
26. Give your child unstructured time to simply daydream
and wonder.
27. Share inspirational stories of people who succeeded in
life.
28. Don't bribe your child with rewards. Using incentives
to get children to perform sends a message that learning
is not rewarding in its own right
29. Suggest that your child join peer groups that focus on
her gifts.
30. Discuss the news to spark interests.
31. Discourage gender bias. Expose your child to both
feminine and masculine toys and activities.
32. Avoid comparing your child to others. Help your child
compare himself to his own past performance.
33. Be an authoritative parent.
44. Give your child choices. It builds willpower and fuels
initiative.
45. Show your child how to use books to further an
interest. For example, "how to" books for the "handson" learner.
46. Set aside an area of the house for displaying
creations and awards.
47. Encourage your child to tackle areas that are difficult
for him. Help him learn to confront any limitations.
48. Be a liaison between your child's special talents and
the real world. Help her find outlets for her talents.
49. Introduce children's literature that honors and
develops gifts. Books like the Little Engine That could
encourage a "can do" attitude.
50. Accept your child as he or she is.
For further information read: Thomas Armstrong,
Awakening Your Child's Natural
Genius (Putnam, 1991), and Awakening Genius in the
Classroom (ASCD, 1998),
available by calling 1-800-247-6552.
Visit Thomas Armstrong's website at:
www.thomasarmstrong.com.
Christmas Concert
December Break
There are two performances this year for our concert.
th
Wednesday, December 16 at 9:15 am and Thursday,
th
December 17 at 1:45 pm. Parents and guardians are
welcome at either of these performances.
Students finish school on Friday, December 18 at the
regular time. School resumes again on Monday,
th
January 4 , 2 016.
th
I wish you all a wonderful holiday, and a happy new
year. Please know, that as a school staff we are here to
help your entire family. Please contact your classroom
teacher, or the office if you ever have a concern or
need. We are in this together! Merry Christmas and
Happy Holidays!
Non - perishable food items for the
neighbourhood food pantry
Mair Ann Gault – Principal Brant Ave. P.S.
We are collecting nonperishable food items for the
neighbourhood food pantry. You can drop off donations
around the tree in the front foyer by the office before
th
Thursday Dec 17 and during the Winter Concert.
School Arrival
Please discourage your children from arriving before
8:40 a.m. There is no supervision on the school yard
until 8:40 a.m. and no one to supervise students inside
before the bell rings.
Outdoor Recess.
In the past, we have had a number of
parents requesting that their child
remain inside at recess time as (s)he
is still getting over being ill. It is not
possible to supervise these children
during break time. All students are expected to
participate in outdoor recess, as this is an important
activity. Active break aids concentration and success in
the classroom.
Please consider keeping your child home an extra day
so (s)he can recover and return prepared for the full
school day.
It is getting chilly out and snow may fly soon! Please
remember to assist your child(ren) in wearing proper
clothing to school. This includes a warm jacket, hat,
mitts and waterproof footwear. Thanks for sending
labeled extra socks and pants in your child’s backpack
just in case. Twenty minutes can be a very long time if
you are not dressed properly return prepared for the full
school day.
Lost and Found
During the second week of December, we will be sorting
the lost and found bins. Items will be displayed down
the length of the hallways. Classes will walk down the
hallway to have a look and claim their belongings. All
unclaimed clothing will be donated to charity. Please
remember to label all items of clothing, especially at this
time of year when hats, mitts and even coats go
missing. We want to be able to return as many lost and
found items as possible.
Warm Winter Ski Gloves needed
Brant Ave PS will be collecting warm winter ski gloves
for the students at our school. Please drop them off at
the office.
Boots,Snow Pants and Coats
Brant Ave PS has a wide selection of gently used boots,
snow pants and coats at the school. If you are in need
of any or all of these please contact or visit the office to
let us help.
No Dogs on the Schoolyard
A reminder to parents and visitors that dogs are not
allowed on the school yard during the school day. As
much as we like and trust our own dogs, when they are
on school property and encounter fast moving and often
unpredictable children, they can become stressed and a
dog’s natural reaction is to bite. Please help us to
safeguard our students by keeping your dog(s) off
school property during school hours.
Chromebooks in Public Libraries
The Upper Grand District School Board now has
Chromebooks for student use in all 25 public
libraries across the district.
The program first launched in April at three pilot
sites within the Wellington County library system and
has grown to include all 25 public library branches
that serve our region.
Each branch has been outfitted with five chrome
books that are available exclusively for Upper Grand
students to access and complete their homework
and assignments.
For more information, visit the board website at
ugdsb.ca
Parking and Student Safety
School Safety Patrols
Parents are reminded to park on the street when
visiting the school. Children and parents walk
through the parking lot both in the mornings before
school and at the end of the day. As a safety
precaution, we ask that all parents and older siblings,
who are coming to the school to pick up students,
please meet at an outside meeting place at the end of
the day. Students are asked to independently enter and
exit through their assigned doors.
Our safety patrols have been doing an excellent job in
safeguarding our students and parents as they walk to
and from school. We would like to remind parents of the
We have a few parents who are coming early to pick up
their children on a regular basis or bringing them late
every day. Unless the children have an appointment,
please go to the back of the school with the other
parents to drop off and pick up your children. When
your children are picked up early on a regular basis or
are late, their coming and going disrupts the class and
they miss out on learning time. Thank you for
understanding.
Please come to a full stop at stop signs.
following:
PLEASE DO NOT ENTER OR EXIT OUR
PARKING LOT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF
8:30 – 9:00 AM AND 3:00 – 3:30 PM.
•
•
•
Students are not to use the front doors for
entry/exit.
Your support in keeping your children safe is greatly
appreciated.
•
Please do not stop to let your children off at the
crosswalk or wave to students to cross.
Please do not leave your car unattended in the
kiss and drive area. This causes congestion
and often dangerous situations arise for other
parents trying to pull up to get their children.
Please take care in attending to our patrols and
be patient.
Please do not park/stop in a no parking/no
stopping areas. This blocks the line of view for
our patrols.
Unfortunately, all of the above behaviours have been
observed by teachers/patrols on duty in front of our
school. Our only concern is the safety of all children
and parents as they arrive to and leave from school
each day.
Safety Patrollers and -25c or Below
On extremely cold mornings, patrollers and parents
should listen to the radio for an announcement
regarding altered patrol post coverage times: If no
announcement is made, carry on a usual.
• At -25c (including the wind chill factor) an
announcement will be made on air indicating that
patrollers will be on duty for only the last five
minutes of their scheduled morning time.
• At afternoon dismissal, usually the temperature has
warmed up above
-25c. If not, then the patrollers would also shorten
their time on duty to 10 minutes.
Kindergarten Registration
Registration for junior kindergarten and new senior
kindergarten students for September 2016 will take
place in February. Your child must turn four before
December 31st, 2016 for the junior kindergarten
program. Your child must turn five before December
31st, 2016 for the senior kindergarten program. If your
child is currently attending the junior kindergarten
program, please do not register again. Please be sure
to return the Kindergarten Pre-Registration Form that is
attached. A registration package will be available in
January with further details.
ViolenceThreat Risk Assessment Protocol
(VTRA)
The Upper Grand District School Board is committed to
providing safe learning environments for all students,
staff, school visitors, and community members. When a
student behaves inappropriately, Principals use
progressive discipline to help a student take
responsibility for their actions, change their behaviour,
and learn from their mistakes.
When safety is threatened by the potentially violent or
dangerous behaviour of a student, which places either
the student or others at risk, schools staff follow specific
protocols for the protection of all. It is important that you
and your children are aware of these protocols.
For more information, please visit the board’s website:
http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/parents/article.aspx?id=51057
December’s Environmental Message
Water might seem like an endless resource. It covers
more than 75% of our planet, but only 1% of the water
on planet Earth is fresh, usable, and drinkable. The rest
is either saltwater or frozen. And now the 1% that is
drinkable is being threatened by pollution because of
humans.
We need to conserve the water that exists on planet
Earth. Did you know that almost 1 billion people do not
have access to clean water? That is really hard for us to
understand because Canada's most valuable natural
resource by far is freshwater. While we have only 0.5%
of the world’s population we have approximately 20% of
the world’s fresh water resources. But unfortunately
Canada is also one of the highest fresh water users in
the world. Of 29 nations studied, only the United States
uses more water than Canada on a per capita basis.
Canada’s consumption is an alarming 65 per cent above
the average!
What are some of the ways we can reduce water
pollution? At home, purchase environmentally friendly,
non-toxic cleaning products. Or clean with baking soda,
lemon or vinegar. Conserve fresh water by collecting
rainwater in barrels. Use it to water your lawn and
garden or even indoor plants. Don’t pour chemicals or
paint or oil down the drain and especially not into the
storm drains on the street, as it goes directly back to our
rivers and lakes. Using natural products that are
biodegradable, for example, is a great way to go. Most
importantly, don’t waste the clean water that we have.
Turn off the taps when you brush your teeth, take
shorter showers, and know that lawn watering is now no
longer cool!
Slogan of the month:
Conserve our water - it's all we have!
Talking About Mental Health
31 Days of Taking Care of Ourselves
In December, as the days get shorter and colder, we all
need to take some time to do something good for
ourselves. Taking a little time each day to take care of
ourselves makes so much difference to keeping in good
mental health. You may choose to do some activities on
your own or with your family or with a friend. Try one or
a few or try them all. Enjoy!
Dr. Lynn Woodford, Psychologist, is the Mental Health and
Addiction Lead for Upper Grand District School Board
Follow me on twitter: @drlynnwoodford
December 1 : One Minute – Take deep breaths, in and
out, for one minute.
December 2 : Two Minutes – Smile at yourself in the
mirror.
December 3 : Three Minutes – Listen to a favourite
song.
December 4 : Four Minutes – Eat some fresh fruit.
December 5 : Five Minutes – Light a candle and quietly
watch the flame.
December 6 : Six Minutes – Sit quietly for six minutes.
December 7 : Seven Minutes – Enjoy the taste of a
holiday snack.
December 8 : Eight Minutes – Spend fun time with
someone who a person or pet .
December 9 : Nine Minutes – Think of the best things
that happened this week.
December 10 : Ten Minutes – Take some time out with
a cup of tea. Sip slowly and enjoy.
December 11 : Eleven Minutes – Sing along with your
favourite songs.
December 12 : Twelve Minutes – Send an email to a
friend setting up a time to meet up during the holidays.
December 13 : Thirteen Minutes – Draw, paint or
doodle.
December 14 : Fourteen Minutes – Go outside and
breathe in the cool, crisp air.
December 15 : Fifteen Minutes – Read a favourite story.
December 16 : Sixteen Minutes – Call or skype with
someone.
December 17 : Seventeen Minutes – Do something
active: dance, walk, run, skip, play.
December 27: Twenty Seven Minutes - Watch your
favourite TV show that makes you laugh.
December 18 : Eighteen Minutes – Make a cup of hot
chocolate and pay attention to the flavor and warmth as
you sip– add marshmallows if desired.
December 28: Twenty Eight Minutes – Spend time with
friends or family.
December 19 : Nineteen Minutes – Help someone else
out who needs some extra help in the holidays.
December 29: Twenty Nine Minutes – Go to the library
and take out a new book, CD or DVD.
December 20 : Twenty Minutes –Watch the sunset on
the shortest day of the year.
December 30: Thirty Minutes – Take some time to do a
hobby or something you enjoy that you have not done
for a while.
December 21 : Twenty One Minutes – Enjoy the holiday
decorations in your neighbourhood.
December 31: Thirty One Minutes – Make a list of all the
things you were grateful for this year.
December 22 : Twenty Two Minutes – Reflect on
traditions you have enjoyed or currently enjoy.
ON BEHALF OF THE BRANT AVENUE
STAFF, WE WISH YOU A VERY MERRY
CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A
SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
December 23 : Twenty Three Minutes –Make your
favourite meal and enjoy every bite.
December 24 : Twenty Four Minutes – Enjoy a bubble
bath or extra-long shower.
December 25: Twenty Five Minutes – Take a walk to
appreciate nature and being outside.
School Council Meeting
The next school council meeting is on Tuesday,
December 8th at 6:30 p.m. All welcome even if you
have never attended before.
December 26: Twenty Six Minutes – Take a nap, lie
down and take a rest.
What is School Council?
•
•
•
It is an advisory board that represents the parents, staff and students in the community
Council provides input to the principal and to the board where it is applicable
It contributes to improving students environment and learning by working co-operatively with staff and the
parent community
•
The majority of council members are parents
•
Parents can act as a parent representative or can run to be an executive on council
•
Executive positions are : chair or co-chairs, secretary and treasurer
•
Council also includes 1 teaching staff member, 1 non-teaching staff member and the principal
•
All positions are for the school year taking effect in September
If you were on council you could:
•
Participate with fundraising and provide input on fundraising events
•
Work as an executive member
•
Provide input on the allocations of funds from fundraising events
•
Be informed about programs and school based decisions
•
Provide input into the schools code of conduct
Council Members responsibilities:
•
Attend meetings which are held once a month
•
Contribute positively to the discussions at the meetings
•
Solicit the views of other parents and the community and share at
the meetings.
School Council Fundraising Update
The fundraising committee has been hard at work this fall. It has been decided by the School Council that the
fundraising money would be divided be used for Hands On Learning opportunities and Field Trip support.
Fundraising so far:
•
•
Lamontange Fundraising – approx. $1000 profit
Maple Leaf Fudge – to be announced
Thank you to all of our parents for supporting your school community
School Council Meeting
The next school council meeting is on Tuesday, December 8th at 6:30 p.m. All welcome even if you have
never attended before.
Brant Ave. Public School December Calendar
December 2015
◄ November
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
January ►
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
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School Council
Meeting – 6:30 pm
Holiday Concert
Holiday Concert
Red and Green
9:15 am
1:45 pm Day
All Welcome
All Welcome
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27
21
22
23
24
25
26
School Holiday
School Holiday
School Holiday
School Holiday
School Holiday
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School Holiday
School Holiday
School Holiday
School Holiday
Notes:
- Return to School
January 4th
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