BRANT AVENUE PUBLIC SCHOOL
64 Brant Avenue, Guelph, Ontario. N1E 1G2
519-824-2671
Fax: 519-824-6159
Mair Ann Gault, Principal
Susan Schaefer, Office Coordinator
APRIL 2015
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with
problems longer."
~ Albert Einstein
Last year we introduced the first part of a three part
motto for Brant Avenue Public School: “At Brant
Avenue Public School we treat others the way we
would like to be treated,” This year we added the
second part of the motto “persevere and learn from
our mistakes,”.
We have spent a lot of time this year discussing the
ideas of persevering and learning from our mistakes,
in our classrooms, during our monthly assemblies
and in natural conversations throughout the school.
In our December newsletter I introduced the idea of
perseverance and grit through a video link on the
topic. This month I have included an excerpt from a
newsletter I receive each month as a result of
training myself and several other staff members
have completed on the topic of teaching our
students how to be resilient. I have also included a
link to a website you might find interesting.
The ability to learn from our mistakes and persevere
when we are confronted with challenges whether
they be a math problem to solve, a reading strategy
to try, a conflict between friends or a difficult life
experience, is a huge indicator of our life-long
success. Please take a moment to read over the
following tips and know that any of the staff at the
school are happy to discuss this topic with you. We
are all in this together.
Sincerely,
Mair Ann Gault - Principal, Brant Ave. Public School
The following excerpt is taking directly from the
“ResilenC e-Newsbrief – Issue 26, 2014: Grit,
Perseverance and Resilience” More information can
be found at
http://www.reachinginreachingout.com/resourcesparents.htm
How you can help build children’s grit,
perseverance and resilience
Here are some tips...
Model a “growth mindset” for the children around
you. Tell them mistakes are OK and are part of
learning. Show them that practice is required for
learning new things and doing well.
Practice calming regularly - Help children deal with
frustration, fears and anger by pausing and taking
“three deep breaths.”
Give encouragement liberally - “You can do it! Just
keep trying.”
Offer “descriptive” feedback - Provide specific
feedback so children can own their
accomplishments. Instead of saying “Good girl!” you
could say, “You put the round block in the round hole
- good for you! Remember, yesterday, you couldn’t
do that? But you kept on trying and now you can.”
Encourage goal setting - Help children monitor their
progress toward personal goals by creating a simple
tack-up chart. For very young children, you may wish
to help them take part in accomplishing family goals.
Support children’s optimism, self-control and
perseverance and connect those with something
they are passionate about - Dr. Karen Reivich, at the
University of Pennsylvania, says if we do, it’s more
likely that children will develop grit. Then, if they are
faced with significant challenges, they are more
likely to respond with resilience.
MOVING
Planning for the 2015-2016 school year is
underway. If you will be moving this summer,
or know of someone moving into the school
area, please notify the school office as soon as
possible. This will help with the organization of
teachers and classrooms at Brant.
struggles with his feelings, and he has to learn
to be calm. His family do not know what to do
with him. How can he overcome his troubles
and conquer them? Max takes a journey in his
mind to an island where he learns to sort out his
wild nature so that he can live happily with his
family.
INFORMATION UPDATES
BAKERS DOZEN PERFORMANCE
Have you changed your home phone number or
work location recently? This is just a reminder
to please inform the office (824-2671) of any
changes in your information i.e. telephone
number, place of work, emergency number,
babysitter, etc. It is important that we keep this
information up to date so that we are able to
contact you if necessary.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
The Drama Club has been hard at work
preparing for the spring production, “We Are
Where the Wild Things Are”. We will have
three performance times, the first for students
on May 5th at 9:15 a.m. and two performances
for parents on May 7th at 9:15 a.m. and 6:30
p.m. (Please note the performance is
approximately 90 minutes in length).
It was my pleasure to introduce on March 24th,
a Guelph based singing group called the Bakers
Dozen. My family has heard them sing twice
now at our local library Christmas celebration,
and this year I thought of Brant Ave and
thought you all might like to hear them too!
The Bakers have been singing together for 10
years. The Bakers are part of a larger group
called The Royal City Ambassadors who have
been singing in Guelph and surrounding areas
for over half a century. The Bakers were
formed as a result of a group of men from the
Ambassadors who wanted to get out and do
more singing. They sing anywhere and
everywhere they get the chance. Their motto:
“KEEP THE WHOLE WORLD SINGING”. The style
of our music is a truly North American art form
called barbershop, introduced in the Southern
United States around the turn of the century
predominantly by African Americans. The
performance fees they usually receive (but
waved for their performance at Brant) are used
for their two charities, one to assist people,
mainly children, with speech disorders and the
other to provide grants for young men and
women wishing to further their education in
music.
Thank you to the Bakers Dozen group for
entertaining us, our students and staff enjoyed
it!
Based on the book by Maurice Sendak, this
story of only 338 words focuses on a
mischievous young boy named Max, age 9. He
gets pleasure out of annoying, teasing and
harassing others. One day, upsetting his
mother, he gets sent to bed without dinner. He
Mrs. Moyer
the evening, Susan Dafoe-Abbey and Heidi
Smith will provide ideas for feeding your picky
eater to helping parents understand the role
diet plays in childhood anxiety. The event is
being held on Wednesday, April 29th from 6:30
p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at June Avenue Public School.
Childcare and light refreshments will be
provided. If you wish to attend please email
mkirwin@kirwingroup.ca and provide your
name and number of childcare spots required.
The Bakers Dozen
NEIGHBOURHOOD GROUP SNACK
PROGRAM
The Neighbourhood Group is offering extra
school snacks for school aged children JK-12.
Families in the BRANT AREA are able to access
the snack program twice monthly Tuesday,
Wednesday or Thursday from 1-3 pm. School
snacks include fresh fruits and vegetables,
yogurt, cheese, and grain products. Please call
or drop by Friendship Place for more
information. If you are interested in helping
with the snack program, please let us know at
519-821-9243.
Sometimes parents don’t know what to prepare
that would be safe in a lunch. It is particularly
challenging in schools where there are several
life threatening allergies. Eat Right Ontario
provides free access to a Registered Dietician
who may be helpful in these situations. They
are very familiar with allergies, Sabrina’s Law
and PPM 150. They even have budget friendly
resources. To speak to a dietician, call 1-877510-5102 or visit the Eat Right Ontario website
at www.eatrightontario.ca.
FOOD AND ANXIETY
June Avenue Public School is hosting an evening
speaker on Food and Anxiety. The speakers for
JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN
We continue to register children for our
September 2015 Kindergarten classes. If you
have a child who will turn 4 (Junior
Kindergarten) or 5 (Senior Kindergarten) on or
before December 31st please call the school.
SNACK PROGRAM
Our snack program continues
to run daily for those who
need a healthy snack
throughout the day. Healthy
food donations such as fruit cups, apple sauce
and peanut free granola bars are always
welcome. Please see Amy Fonte for more
information.
EQAO DATES
The EQAO assessments will be administered this
year for grade threes and sixes from May 25th –
June 4th. Please plan to ensure your child is
present during this time frame.
BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM
High self-esteem helps children cope with
challenges in school and beyond. You can’t
bestow self-esteem on your child, but you can
nurture its three key elements:
1. Acceptance. Tell your child you love
him/her all the time, not just when he/she
is good or successful. Compliment your
child more and criticize less. Help your child
develop friendships and social skills.
2. Confidence. Emphasize his/her strengths.
Accept, don’t dwell on weaknesses. Point
out the progress made and make him/her
see that their actions do make a difference.
3. A sense of purpose. Help your child to set
attainable goals. Be positive about his/her
ability to succeed. Help your child see that
he/she can overcome difficulties. Provide
incentives and rewards.
looking for help. Please join Upper Grand
District School Board in our effort to inspire
compassion, empowerment and hope by
wearing BLUE on Tuesday April 2nd
2015.
Autism Ontario, Kerry's Place Autism Services
CROSSWALK AND SCHOOL
SAFETY
Child and Youth Mental Health Week is about
promoting mental wellness, increasing
awareness of the child and youth mental health,
decreasing stigma and understanding that
support is available.
This year’s theme for Child and Youth Mental
Health Week at the Upper Grand District School
Board is:
Have a SUPER Week! Let’s increase
everyone’s mental health and well being!
Social Connections
Please ensure safety by not
stopping at the crosswalks when
dropping off or picking up your
child. Please do not drive into the
parking lot. Keep our kids safe!
DISMISSAL
Just a reminder to parents that school dismisses
at 3:15 pm. Students are expected to be picked
up by 3:15 pm. Unfortunately, staff are busy
with preparations for the next day, meetings
etc. and cannot supervise children after 3:15
pm. Your support with this matter would be
greatly appreciated.
WORLD AUTISM DAY – WEAR
BLUE – April 2, 2015!
In 1974, 1 in 5,000 people, or 4,400 Canadians,
had Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).Today, 1 in
88, or almost 400,000 are diagnosed. What will
the next 40 years look like?
The seventh annual World Autism Awareness
Day is April 2, 2015. Every year autism
organizations around the world celebrate the
day with unique fundraising and awareness
raising events. By bringing together autism
organizations all around the world, we will give
a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide
who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and
TALKING ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH – MAY 2-9 IS CHILD AND
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH WEEK!
Uplifting Emotions
Personal Health
Emotional Calming
Resilient Thinking
Each day of the week will focus on a different
aspect of Mental Health and Well Being. The
schools will be provided with resources and
activities related to each day’s theme. Some
schools will also have their own Mental Health
Week activities that are specific to their school.
As a parent, you can increase the Mental Health
and Well-being of your children and family too!
Here are some suggestions:
Monday May 4: Focus on Social Connection
Draw a picture or diagram of social
connections. Who does your
child/youth feel close to: At home? At
school? Friends? Extended family? In
the community? If there are missing
parts, make a effort to try and make a
new connection. Connection to caring
adults is the best protective factor that
a child/youth can have.
Tuesday May 5 – Focus on Uplifting Emotions
Focus on the positive. Smile with your
children/youth. Have them smile with
each other. Read a book that makes you
and your children happy. Watch a video
or sing a song that focuses on being
happy. Think of a positive sentence to
say during your day. Put a positive note
on the fridge or tweet out positive
thoughts. Put a note in your child’s
lunch: Have a happy day!
Wednesday May 6 – Personal Health – Eating
Well, Sleeping Well and Being Active
Wear green to support Mental Health
Awareness today! Eat a good nutritious
breakfast. Focus on fruits and veggies
for snacks. Walk with your child to
school or go for walk after work/school.
Go outside! Go with your child to the
park or for a swim or a bike ride! An
hour before bed, start winding down.
No screens. Read a book or listen to
calming music. Take a bath. Prepare for
a good night’s sleep.
Thursday May 7 – Emotional Calming
Just breathe. Taking deep calming
breaths is on the most powerful things
you and your children/youth can do to
be calm. Start the day with a few deep
breaths at breakfast. Have you and your
child/youth to take three deep breaths
every time they walk through a
doorway. So at the start of each class,
your child/youth can start with three
deep breaths.
Friday May 8 – Resilient Thinking
Have your child/youth talk about their
strengths. What are their strengths as a
brother, sister, son or daughter? What
are their strengths in their relationships
with their friends? What are the
strengths related to school, activities,
interests? What do they enjoy doing
and why? Talk about a time when they
used their strengths to overcome a
difficult experience.
At the end of the week, think about the things
that made you or your child feel more positive,
more resilient and continue to use them every
day!
Our community partners will also be taking part
in events around Child and Youth Mental Health
Week.
The GLOWW (Giving Light Offers Worth and
Wellness) youth committee of CMHA WWD is
giving bracelets to all High School students in
Guelph/Wellington. The bracelets have a
positive mental wellness message on the
outside and contact information on the inside.
CMHA WWD and GLOWW are having a Walk for
Mental Health in Exhibition Park, Guelph from
12-5 on Saturday May 2.
FREE DENTAL CARE FOR CHILDREN
AGED 17 AND UNDER
If you don’t have dental insurance and can’t
afford care, we have free services for your
children at Public Health. At our dental clinics,
we help children prevent cavities and disease.
We also make sure that children with urgent
problems get the treatment they need.
For more information about our dental services,
call our Dental Line at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661
or visit www.wdgpublichealth.ca.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
1-800-265-7293 www.wdgpublichealth.ca
info@wdgpublichealth.ca
TWO FOR TWO IS WHAT YOU DO!
Brushing your teeth two times a day for two
minutes each time helps prevent cavities.
If you don’t have dental insurance and can’t
afford care, we have free dental services for
your children at Public Health. At our dental
clinics, we provide free cleanings for children.
We can help children with cavities and other
urgent problems get the treatment they need.
For more information about our dental services,
call our Dental Line at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661
or visit www.wdgpublichealth.ca
CELEBRATE THE EARTH!
BE CREATIVE AND
ENTHUSIASTIC
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire
awareness and appreciation for the Earth's
natural environment. Earth day was a day
founded as an environmental teach-in first held
on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was
focused on the United States, an organization
took it international in 1990 and organized
events in 141 nations. Earth Day activities in
1990 shone a spotlight on important
environmental issues like species extinction,
water and energy conservation and pollution on
the worldwide stage. Earth Day is now
coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network,
and is celebrated in more than 180 countries
every year. Numerous communities also
celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of
activities focused on environmental initiatives.
Earth day is a very special day that allows us to
participate with millions of other people all over
the world in reflecting on the importance of
protecting our planet. We can show our
creativity for this event by coming up with
posters to promote Earth day or by writing a
reflection in our journal about what Earth day
means to us personally. We can write a poem
about our favourite thing in nature or we could
write a letter to the government asking for
better environmental laws. We could come up
with more creative ways to conserve energy, or
reduce, reuse or recycle items we personally
use. We can show our enthusiasm for our
planet by researching topics that interest us and
coming up with new ideas on how to spread the
word about the environmental issues that we
are passionate about.
Make Earth Day last all year! - Let’s go green,
everyone!
“Show What YOU know on
EQAO”
Tips For Your Child’s
Success!
What is EQAO:
EQAO undertakes research for two main
purposes:
1) to maintain best-of-class practices and
student improvement
2) ensure high standards of education
quality
Standardized tests provide different
information. A standardized test is essentially a
snapshot in time using one method of
assessment. Teachers assess their students
using a broad range of tools. A more holistic and
complete picture of a student's performance
can be seen from various types of assessment
that the teacher does throughout the year.
(tvoparents.tvo.org)
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
●
There is no need to study. The EQAO
assessment does not count towards a
child's marks in grades 3 and 6, so there
is no need to increase anxiety by
cramming. If you are curious about the
questions your child will be asked,
check out the EQAO site and run
through some practice tests yourself so
you have some understanding of the
structure of the assessment and can
better reassure your child.
● Remember this is practice. Let your
child know that this is a way to show off
what he or she knows and to practice
test-writing skills so your child can be
prepared for tests in later grades.
● Be supportive. It is normal and natural
to get nervous and this is a big deal for
your child. Do not downplay fears or
dismiss them as silly. Instead,
encourage your child to talk about
these fears
● Talk to the Teacher. If your child is
experiencing severe anxiety, there are
things the teacher or school can do to
help.
● Set the alarm. The best thing you can
do for your child the day of the
assessments is to make sure your child
is well rested, fed and gets to school on
time.
● Read more. For more on EQAO
assessments and what they mean for
your child, check out our Parent's Guide
to EQAO Assessments.
● Understand the Test. Don't use your
child's EQAO test scores to measure
overall achievement. You're better off
relying on regular contact with the
teacher who can show you your child's
portfolio, which is being updated all
year long. You'll have a more clear and
accurate picture of your child's
progress.
EQAO resources
http://tvoparents.tvo.org/article/understanding
-standardized-testing
www.eqao.com
~ April 2015 ~
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
Thu
2
Autism
Awareness
Day – Wear
BLUE
5
6
EASTER
MONDAY
7
8
9
Fri
3
GOOD
FRIDAY
Sat
4
NO SCHOOL
10
11
Pizza Day
NO SCHOOL
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Electrical
Safety
Presentation
Pizza Day
19
20
21
22
Earth Day
Assembly
23
24
PA DAY
NO
SCHOOL
26
27
28
29
30
Notes:
25
Brant Ave. Neighbourhood Group Calendar
April 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
1
2
Early Years, New Life
Church
9:30-11:30am
Friday
Saturday
3
Good Friday
4
9
Early Years, NLC
9:30-11:30am
10
Positive
Parenting
Program 9:3011:30am
Brant Ave PS
11
16
Early Years, NLC
9:30-11:30am
17
Positive
Parenting
Program 9:3011:30am
Brant Ave PS
18
23
Early Years,, NLC
9:30-11:30am
24
PA Day!
25
Coffee Hour 1-3pm
5
6
Easter Monday
No Youth
Programming
No Yoga
12
Call before
noon on
Monday for
food /
snack
program
within the
week!
19
Call before
noon on
Monday for
food /
snack
program
within the
week!
26
Call before
noon on
Monday for
food /
snack
program
within the
week!
13
Early Years, St.
David & St.
Patrick Church
9:30-11:30am
Yoga
6:15-7:15pm
Brant Ave PS
Gym
20
Collective Kitchen
New Life Church
9:30-11:30am
7
Action Read
9– 11am
8
No Youth
Programming
14
Action Read
9– 11am
15
GARDEN FRESH
BOX
1-3pm and 6:307:30pm
21
Action Read
9– 11am
22
28
Action Read
9– 11am
29
Zumba
7:00 – 8:00pm
Brant Ave PS Gym
Zumba
7:00 – 8:00pm
Brant Ave PS Gym
Coffee Hour 1-3pm
Coffee Hour 1-3pm
Early Years, St.
David & St.
Patrick Church
9:30-11:30am
Yoga
6:15-7:15pm
Brant Ave PS Gym
27
Early Years, St.
David & St.
Patrick Church
9:30-11:30am
Yoga
6:15-7:15pm
Brant Ave PS Gym
Coffee Hour 1-3pm
30
Early Years,, NLC
9:30-11:30am
Coffee Hour 1-3pm