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
OCTOBER 2014
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
On September 25th, our school hosted a
fabulous “Bring your Parent or
Guardian to Breakfast” Open House
event from 8:45 am to 10:30 am. The
event was free of charge and breakfast
was provided by funds from a Parent’s
Reaching Out Grant. The morning was
very well attended with approximately
500 people present.
After
breakfast,
parents
visited
classrooms, met their children’s teachers
and did some learning activities with their
children. Many of our community
partners including: our School Council,
Brant Neighbourhood Group, Guelph
Community Health Centre, The Running
and Reading Program, Public Health,
Canadian Mental Health Association,
and Healthy Living Peer Leaders set up
booths in the library that students and
their parents and guardians visited
throughout the morning. The event was
a huge success. Congratulations to the
Bonneau family, Strongman family,
Jansen Family and Crnogorac family for
winning the draw held for all completed
Community Partner Passbook holders.
I am so looking forward to the adventures
the rest of the year will bring as we work
together with our students, their families
and our community partners. What a
wonderful, warm and lovely community
we work and live in. I feel so blessed to
be a part of it.
Sincerely
Mair Ann Gault 
IMPORTANT – P.A. DAY/ HOLIDAY
Monday October 13th will be the
Thanksgiving Holiday and there will NO
SCHOOL. On Friday October 24th there
will be NO SCHOOL due to a PA day for
students. More information can be found
at www.ugdsb.on.ca
WALK TO SCHOOL DAY
Walking is the world’s simplest and most
efficient exercise. International Walk to
School Day is on Wednesday, October
9th.
Please support W.D.G. Public
Health’s initiative in promoting good
health.
PROGRESS REPORTS/INTERVIEWS
Progress reports will be going home on
Thursday, November 13th.
This
progress report will provide students and
parents with early and specific feedback
on the progress made during the first two
months of school year. It will tell you
how your child is doing in all subjects
using words: “progressing very well”,
“progressing well”, or “progressing with
difficulty”. Watch for further information
concerning
setting
up
interview
appointments for Friday, November 21st.
.
EQAO RESULTS
EQAO has released the results of testing
carried out last May. Parents can view
our overall school results for grades
three and six by accessing our school
website: http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/Brant
Ave/
and looking for the EQAO Results tab
located on the left side of the webpage.
As a staff, we continue to examine
student data and assessment to help
inform us how to improve teaching and
learning as a school.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
SUPERVISION
Please be advised that outside
supervision does not begin until 8:40 in
the morning. We request that children do
not arrive at school before that time, as
there are no teachers/staff watching
them and colder weather is coming.
Also, outside supervision after school
ends at 3:30.
Please remind your
child(ren) to go directly home or to their
caregiver after school. We want to
ensure that your students are safely on
their way.
REMINDER
Before and after school our crossing
patrols put up traffic cones to remind
parents not to come into the parking
lot.
This is for the safety of our
students. Parents who drive into the lot
put our students and our patrols at risk.
If you are picking up your child(ren),
please ask them to meet you at the side
of the road in front of the school.
ABSENCES AND LATE ARRIVALS
It is very important that you phone the
school if your child is going to be late or
absent for any reason. (There is an
answering machine on twenty-four hours
a day so please use this system to keep
us informed). You can also call in
advance if you know of an upcoming
appointment or absence. We will contact
you when our attendance check
indicates that your child is absent and we
have not heard from you. When your
child arrives to school late, please make
sure that they check into the main office
for a late slip.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Our next school council meeting will be
held on Thursday, October 16th starting
at 6:30 pm in our Library. Everyone is
welcome.
SPIRIT DAY
Friday, October 31st will be Orange and
Black Day. Students are encouraged to
wear orange and black clothing to
school. Please do not wear costumes.
Thank you.
NO DOGS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY
Please note that there are children who
have allergies to animal hair, and others
who have a fear of dogs. There is also a
possibility of a child being scratched or
nipped by a dog (perhaps excited by all
the children who enter and leave the
school at the end of the day). We have
also, unfortunately, had dog droppings
deposited on our school property. As
such, in order to prevent a potential
concern for students, please do not bring
you dog onto school property.
CHILD CUSTODY ORDERS
Unless otherwise directed by a court of
law, both natural parents usually have
full access to students and their records.
If for some reason these rights are
restricted, legal documentation must be
on file at the school.
Your child’s
emotional and physical well-being is of
utmost concern to our school staff.
Please ensure that copies of any
Custody or Access orders affecting your
child are on file at the school office.
HEAD LICE
When a child at Brant Avenue has head
lice an information sheet will be sent
home with the children in his/her class.
We do not identify the child in the letter.
This is a good time to check your
child(ren) carefully for head lice. Many
children are in close contact with other
children over the summer and as a result
these pests spread easily. If you do find
head lice on your child, we request that
he or she be treated before the child
returns to school. Instructions for a
second treatment should be followed 7 to
10 days after the first treatment.
VISITOR POLICY
All visitors/volunteers must report to the
school office upon arrival. Please use
the office counter clipboard to sign “IN”
and “OUT” of the school. Wear a visitor
badge while you are in the school away
from the office. When bringing a child
to/from school please wait for students at
the main office or in the front foyer. For
the safety of our students DO NOT
proceed to the classroom to pick up or
drop off a child.
CHANGE OF PLANS
If you have a change in your child=s
regular plan for going home at the end of
the day, please let the office know before
1:55 pm (our second nutritional break) if
at all possible. It is very difficult to get a
message to your children at the end of
the day, when classes are preparing for
dismissal or getting on the bus (if this is
applicable). This is especially true if there
is more than one child involved. Thanks
for your help in this matter.
SHOES AND WEATHER
As the colder weather soon approaches,
we are reminding children to dress for the
weather. Students are required to have
an indoor and outdoor pair of shoes.
The indoor shoes should be comfortable
and appropriate for gym, so running
shoes are perfect.
SAFETY ISSUES
As required in the Policy, we will be
teaching age-appropriate lessons to help
our students identify abuse and protect
themselves from abusive situations. The
goal is to provide children with the tools
they need to keep themselves safe. The
lessons cover a broad range of safety
issues including bullying, stranger
danger and abuse by a known and
trusted adult.
- KB is exploring fall using the ipads as a
tool. Every student has taken some
pictures of ‘fall’. We have had some
great pictures, including pictures of
leaves blowing in the wind, landscape
pictures of trees changing colours and
fallen leaves arranged carefully on a
rock. Each student is now selecting
pictures and using the ipad to create a
slideshow to present their work.
This will be taught over the course of the
year. For grades one, three and five, the
lessons will be team taught by our Child
and Youth Counselor and classroom
teachers. There is no formal program in
grades two, four and six, although the
safety concepts are reviewed by
classroom teachers informally.
- Ms. Anderson’s Grade 1/ 2 class has
been learning about squirrels and has
been starting to learn how to use UG2GO
on the ipads for researching.
We encourage you to discuss with your
child at home, the concepts taught in the
Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum.
For more information concerning the
Child Abuse Prevention Policy/Programs
please contact Mrs. Gault, Principal or
Mrs. Fonte, Child and Youth Counsellor.
LIBRARY BOOK EXCHANGE
The library is for weekly book exchanges.
If your child is in Kindergarten s/he will be
bringing home one book each week.
Grade 1-6 students will be bringing home
2 books. To make sure library books are
not damaged or lost please find a
location in your home to keep the books
safe. Each class has one scheduled visit
to the library each week. This is the day
books need to be brought back so that
students may sign out new titles.
LEARNING COMMONS UPDATE
The Learning Commons has been a
busy place. Here are some of the
highlights from September.
- Mr. Shannon’s Grade 3/ 4 has
participated in 2 mystery skype sessions
to develop their map reading skills and
learn more about Canada’s provinces.
Mystery Skype is where 2 classes
connect over skype but do not know
where the other class is located. Each
class asks yes/no questions to try and
figure out where the other class lives.
Our first class was located in a remote
community of North Western Ontario
called Red Lake.
- The Grade 5/ 6 class has been learning
about the impact of human activity on our
health and our environment through an
inquiry project. Students are working on
developing questions to investigate, and
then using a variety of media such as
videos, books, and UG2GO to explore
the topic.
MATHEMATICS IN EDUCATION
Everyday children go about their daily
lives exploring and discovering things
around them, and by doing so they’re
exposed to the world of mathematics.
And since mathematics has become
increasingly important in this
technological age, it is even more
important for our children to learn math at
home, as well as in school.
ATTITUDE IS IMPORTANT
How do you as a parent feel about math?
Your feelings will have an impact on how
your children think about math and
themselves as mathematicians. Take a
few minutes to reflect on these
questions:
Do you think everyone can learn
math?
Do you think of math as useful in
everyday life?
Do you believe that most jobs today
require math skills?
If you answer "yes" to most of these
questions, then you are probably
encouraging your child to think
mathematically. Positive attitudes about
math are important for your child's
success.
Mathematics as Problem Solving,
Communication, and Reasoning
Helping your child learn to solve
problems, to communicate
mathematically, and to demonstrate
reasoning abilities are fundamental to
learning mathematics. These attributes
will improve your child's understanding
and interest in math concepts and
thinking.
A problem solver is someone who
questions, investigates, and explores
solutions to problems. They stick with a
problem to find a solution and
understand that there may be different
ways to arrive at an answer and attempt
different ways to get there. You can
encourage your child to be a good
problem solver by involving him or her in
family decision making using math.
To communicate mathematically
means to use words, numbers, or
mathematical symbols to explain
situations; to talk about how you arrived
at an answer; to listen to others' ways of
thinking and perhaps alter their thinking;
to use pictures to explain something; and
to write about math, not just give an
answer. You can help your child learn to
communicate mathematically by asking
your child to explain a math problem or
answer. Ask your child to write about the
process she or he used, or to draw a
picture of how he or she arrived at an
answer to a problem.
Reasoning ability means thinking
logically, being able to see similarities
and differences about math concepts in
different domains and make choices
based on those differences or
similarities. You can encourage your
child to explain his or her reasoning
behind answers and encourage them to
ask themselves, “Does this make
sense?” As you listen, you will hear your
child sharing his or her reasoning.
Look forward to next month’s newsletter
more about how you can help you
child/children further develop these
attributes of a strong mathmetician.
CHILD AND YOUTH COUNSELLOR
Schedule for 2013-14
Monday – all day
Tuesday – am
Thursday – am
Friday – pm
SCHOOL SAFETY COMMITMENT
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 students' behaviour pose a
potential threat to safety or serious harm,
the Community Violence Threat Risk
Assessment Protocol (VTRA) helps
principals take further steps to protect
students' well-being.
More information is provided on the
UGDSB website.
OUR VISION
A community where individuals can
achieve their highest level of health.
Preparing lunches day after day can be a
challenge!
Make sure you pack lunches that have all
four food groups in Canada’s Food
Guide:
Include at least:
•
One fruit or vegetable,
•
one serving of milk or milk
products (like cheese or yogurt)
•
One meat or alternative (like
sunflower seeds or hard- boiled
eggs)
• One whole-grain item
Here are resources to help you:
•
Canada’s Food Guide
available from your school nurse
or www.wdgpublichealth.ca
•
Healthy eating on a budget. Visit
http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/en/hea
lthy-ontario/healthy-eating/eathea
lthy-budget.asp
•
Healthy eating resources at
www.eatrightontario.ca
When we improve what we eat, we can
make a big difference to our health and
well-being for years to come.
Cross Country
This year at Brant Avenue, 30 students
participated in three weeks of practices,
leading up to our Cross Country meet on
Tuesday, October 7th at Margaret Greene
Park. We had a beautiful, sunny afternoon
for running and all our students started and
finished the race with smiles on their faces.
They demonstrated perseverance and a
solid level of fitness by completing this 1.7
km route, and many of our runners felt they
did a personal best run. Thank you to those
parents who volunteered their afternoon to
accompany us on the bus and to cheer on
our students during the race. A special
thank you to Lisa Nevar-Landsmann for
taking some great pictures of our runners
and sharing them with us for a poster board
at school and in our newsletter. It was a
pleasure coaching such a great group of
runners and I hope to see many of you back
next year! Mrs. Moyer
FREE STORM TICKETS!!!!
Brant Ave PS has been given storm tickets on behalf of Bobby
O’Briens Irish Pub through the Guelph Storm Adopt-A-School
program. For reading the newsletter you now have a chance at
winning 4 tickets to the date you sign up for!
Section 113 Row 7 seats 3-6.
Please hand in the bottom half of this page to the office and the
date you are able to attend. There will be one draw for every week
in the month for your chance to win. So keep reading the
newsletters!
* Parents will be asked to fill in a thank you
form if your family is picked*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tear off this section
Students Name:
I am available: (check off one or both)
Friday, October 17th against Niagara _______
Friday, October 24th, against Windsor _______
Friday, November 02nd, against Ottawa _______
Must be handed in to the office before October 10th
Make a difference in the lives of children and youth:
say 'yes' to participate in the
2014 Ontario Child Health Study
and School Mental Health Surveys
The 1983 Ontario Child Health Study told us that
1 in 5 children and youth experienced serious mental health challenges.
This estimate is outdated as is much of what we know about child and youth mental health in
Ontario. The 2014 Ontario Child Health Study will tell us about the mental health status and
needs of children and youth living in Ontario today.
From October 2014 to May 2015, Statistics Canada will be inviting 7,000 families with children
aged 4 -17 years to complete an interview in their home. At the same time, McMaster researchers
will be conducting School Mental Health Surveys in 240 Ontario schools to help us learn new
ways of promoting and addressing student mental health needs.
Together, these studies will be the first of their kind in Canada
to examine the influence of family, community and school environments
on child and youth mental health.
The results will be used to develop programs and services to improve the mental health of young
people in Ontario. Results from the 1983 Study were partially responsible for over 3 billion
dollars of investment in federal and provincial programs and services, resulting in the creation of
programmes such as the Ontario Early Years Centres.
Participation in the 1983 Ontario Child Health Study was over 90%. Make sure you are heard in
2014 as well. Let's make our province a better place for children and youth. If invited to
participate, please say ‘yes’ to the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study and School Mental Health
Surveys.
www.ontariochildhealthstudy.ca
Great Job! Heather Dyer, Elementary Curriculum Leader There is no question that everyone loves a compliment. Our confidence grows, we feel happy and motivated, we get a sense of accomplishment. But what if the only feedback we ever received were statements like ‘great job’? Okay….what we did was good, but how do we get better? What do we need to improve? What, specifically, about what we did was ‘great’? One of the things Educators are working on in Ontario is looking at how to go beyond the “great job” and “good try” feedback to give more of what’s called Descriptive Feedback to students around their learning. The goal of giving descriptive feedback is to improve student learning in a specific and targeted way. The most effective time for students to receive descriptive feedback is during the learning process so that they can take the feedback given to them and move their learning forward or improve on what they are doing. Often descriptive feedback takes the form of a strength ­ what the student is doing well, and a next step ­ what they need to work on next. Usually the feedback is based on “Success Criteria”, which is a list of criteria that have been written, in collaboration with students, and posted for students and teachers to access throughout the learning. The goal is for students to always know how to be successful. Definitely Educators are going to be the main people giving students feedback. However, classrooms are also including opportunities for students to give each other descriptive feedback and time for students to self­reflect on their learning and where they are based on the Success Criteria. This is part of students taking ownership for their learning and improvement with the Educator there to provide descriptive feedback and coaching along the way. In the words of leadership expert, Dr. Ken Blanchard, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions”. With descriptive feedback students know precisely what they have done well and what their next learning goal is. It is through giving specific, targeted feedback that Educators can help each student reach their goals and celebrate success. Health
October 2014
What a good feeling!
Celebrate International Walk to School Day
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
•
Walking is good exercise. It’s a way to increase physical activity among children.
•
Walking keeps the air clean. It reduces the number of cars on the road, which ultimately
reduces air pollution
•
Walking enhances stamina and gives more energy. Children who walk are more alert and
ready to learn.
•
Walking relaxes a child, lessens anxiety and tension.
•
Walking to school empowers children thereby fostering independence.
•
Walking is economical. You will not need to fill up your legs with gas.
•
Walking is educational. You will better admire all the beauties in your neighbourhood.
•
Walking is fun and a great way to meet new friends.
October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. A whole month dedicated to celebrating, advocating and bringing awareness to Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down Syndrome (NDSS) People with Down Syndrome attend school, work, participate in decisions that affect them and contribute to society in many ways. While there may be a cognitive delay, the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses. Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care and positive support from family, friends and the community enable people with Down Syndrome to develop to their full potential and live fulfilling lives. Get involved! October offers multiple ways to participate in activities, events, and to help in raising awareness. Participate in a local Buddy Walk, educate those around you using NDSS’s Youtube channel . http://www.youtube.com/user/NDSSorg The Canadian Down Syndrome Society offers educator resources that include videos parents can view with their children about children with Down Syndrome. Talking About Mental Health!
One Month into School
Some students love to go back to school and are happy to go every day. Other students start each fall
with a positive attitude about school, but after the honeymoon period of the first few weeks are over,
things begin to slide.
One parent recently commented to me:
“I am walking home from school with a child crying the whole way”
“My kids are acting irrationally and freaking out”
She wanted me to share with you that if you are in this situation, you are not alone. For some students,
this is a normal pattern. For some of our children and youth, school is stressful. After relaxing, having
fun or at least being school free for the summer, they had built up the energy to take on school every
day, but after a few weeks back they are starting to get drained and strained. You may notice more: talk
of headaches and stomach aches, tiredness, irritability, crying, and refusals.
We all do the best that we can. If we are not doing well then we are lacking the skills or resources to do
better.
So what to do? Start with recognizing this is normal and it too will change. Just like the honeymoon
phase of the first weeks, this phase will come to pass as well.
Begin with the basics: good sleep, good food, outdoor activities. This is the strong base that we all need
to function well. Keep a consistent routine with regular times for waking up, eating meals, school work,
and bedtime routines.
Put some down time into every day. Quiet time with the kids: reading a book, listening to music, going
for a walk, playing a quiet game, doing relaxation activities. We all need to opportunity to de-stress.
Acknowledge that you notice how hard it is for your child and ask “What is up?”. Perhaps they can tell
you what is going and perhaps they can’t. That is OK. Just acknowledging that you see it is hard for them
is a good start.
Talk to your child’s teacher about how they are feeling. Make a plan to make the student feels welcome
in the class. Look at ways of working break times into the day at school. Set up a buddy system to pair
students who are less comfortable with more comfortable students.
Get your child or youth to school every day. Students who are finding school hard may want to stay
home. The best way to increase anxiety related to school is to keep your child or youth at home. The
more they stay away, the harder it will be for them to go to school. Make sure your child knows that
you feel good about their school and classroom that you are comfortable with them being there. Talk to
the teacher to discuss how to support your child at school.
Set a positive, optimistic tone about school. Find something positive that your child likes about school
and build from there. Build on their strengths or connections. Notice what they are doing well and
praise them for their coping skills. Children and youth (and adults) pick up on what is going on in their
environment so if the environment is stressful then we will pick up that stress but if the environment is
positive and optimistic, then they will pick that up. Creating a positive attitude toward school is
contagious!
And, as always, don’t forget to breathe. Right now, take three deep breaths. In through the nose, out
through the mouth. With each out breath, release the tension and tightness. Every time you walk
through a doorway take three deep breaths. Encourage your kids to do this too. The stress that you and
your kids release throughout the day will mean less stress at the end of the day and a happier trip
home!
For more tips about Back to School transitions:
http://www.anxietybc.com/sites/default/files/CopingwithBacktoSchool.pdf
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/b2shandout.aspx