BRANT AVENUE PUBLIC SCHOOL

advertisement
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
SEPTEMBER 2014
Welcome Back!
Dear Brant Parents and Guardians:
Once again this year I would like to take this opportunity to hear from you. Our school is a wonderful place to be and
your input helps us keep it that way! If you could take a moment to fill in the following survey and have your child
return it to his/her classroom teacher by September 5, 2014, I would really appreciate it. The
classroom teacher will return the survey to me for reading.
Thank you! Mrs. Gault  (Brant Ave. P.S. Principal)
1) What is great about Brant Avenue Public School? (Feel free to be specific.)
_____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2) Name one thing you would love to see happen at Brant Avenue Public School. Is there anything
you would like to do to help support this change?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3) Is there anything else you would like me to know?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
School Day
8:55 - 9:35
9:35 - 10:15
10:15 - 10:55
10:55 - 11:35
11:35 - 12:05
12:05 - 12:35
12:35 - 1:15
1:15 - 1:55
1:55 - 2:35
2:35 - 3:15
Period 1
Period 2
Period 3
First Nutrition Break
Period 4
Period 5
Period 6
Second Nutrition Break
Period 7
Period 8
School Organization 2014 - 2015
The staff assignments at this time are listed below.
KA
Mrs. Filippakis – LTO for Mrs. Dodsworth-Garvey
KB
Mrs. Bond
Grade 1
Mrs. Pye-Clifford
Grade 1/2
Mrs. Anderson
Grade 2
Mrs.Covack –LTO for Mrs. Park
Grade 3
Mrs. Lightfoot
Grade 3/4
TBA
Grade 4/5
Mr. Neil
Grade 5/6
Ms. Gojmerac
Library
Mrs. Licastro
Planning
Mrs. Graham
Ms. Moyer
Mr. Johnson
Mr. Grieves
Resource
Mrs. Mitchell
Mrs. Moyer
Core French
Mr. Gerges – LTO for Mme. Gill
Education Assistants Ms. Leyland
Ms. Shelleau
Mrs. De Geer
Ms. Dunbar
Ms. deVries
Ms. Snook
ECE
Mrs. Marx
Ms. Zorzi
CYC
Mrs. Fonte
Custodians
Mr. Schenk
Office Co-Ordinator Mrs. Alton
Principal
Mrs. Gault
Forms Coming Home
A number of important forms are coming home along with this newsletter. Please ensure
that you read them carefully!
If you have any questions regarding these forms, please
contact the school office.
Please complete and return these forms to your child’s teacher no later than Friday,
September 12th.
•
•
•
Student Verification Form – please make any changes directly onto the form and
sign the bottom
Community Walk Permission Form
Freedom of Information Letter and Consent to Share Personal Information
We have also included for your information re: school organizations which includes the
Ministry of Education Parameters and a School Calendar for the 2014 – 2015 school
year.
Milk and Pizza Order Forms will follow later this month.
Volunteers Forms
We truly value the volunteers in our school. Parents and community members are
encouraged to help in the classroom and on school trips, assist in the library or with
extra-curricular activities and participate on the School Council. Please be sure to pick up
a volunteer form from the office.
Being a volunteer is a wonderful way of participating in your child’s education.
Visitors To Our School
We warmly invite parents and guests to visit our school and encourage volunteers in our
classrooms. For safety reasons, all visitors must report to the office, sign in and
obtain a visitor/volunteer badge before proceeding to classrooms or onto the yard.
Picking up Students From School
To ensure student safety, if you are taking your child from the school during the school
day, you must come to the office and sign your child out after talking to the secretary.
This will assist us in ensuring the safety of your child.
Home Safe
After being dismissed from class at the end of the day, students are requested to go
directly home or to a caregiver before proceeding to other activities.
Safety First
During the school day, your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us. It is
imperative that you call the office before 8:50 am if your child is going to be absent
or late. For your convenience, we also have voice mail which allows you to contact the
school at anytime during the night, over the weekends and early in the morning. The
phone number is 519-824-2671. When you leave a message, please be sure to note the
child’s full name, teacher and reason for absence.
If a child is absent and we have not heard from a parent/guardian, we will attempt to
contact the parent/guardian to ensure that the child is “safe”. If a parent can not be
reached, we will contact the emergency number provided.
It is very important to let the school know if there is any change in personal information:
home or work numbers, cell numbers, address changes etc. In the event of an
unexplained absence or emergency, we will then be able to contact your immediately.
If your child’s dismissal arrangements change in any way, please send a note in the
morning. It is extremely busy in the office at the end of the day, and messages left on the
machine may not be retrieved in time to pass onto the teacher.
Agendas
Once again all students will be receiving a school agenda. The agenda is an important
organizational and communication tool for the student, and provides excellent
communication between home and school. The cost is $4.00 for each agenda. Please
send the money to your child’s classroom teacher.
Brant Avenue School Dress Code
At Brant Ave we promote a respectful and professional student image. Appropriate
dress is defined as attire that is free of symbols of hate, gang membership or images that
portray violence, death, abuse, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, racial slurs, obscene words
and political or sexual statements explicitly or by implication.
Clothing that is revealing and shows an excessive amount of skin such as muscle shirts,
low scooped necklines, tops with spaghetti straps, bare midriffs and open backs are
unacceptable. Shirts must not be excessively tight. Shorts and skirts must be longer
than finger tip length on the legs. Undergarments should not be visible. Hats must be
removed upon entering the school.
Lates
The curriculum is rich and extensive so teachers need to use every period to enable
students to learn all they can. Lessons need to start on time. Late students disturb the
lesson flow, because teachers have to re-teach to ensure the late student is brought
up-to-date. The consequence increases to the class when students are repeatedly late
for class. Please help by getting your children to school on time. Everyone benefits!
Bus Behaviour
Students are expected to follow the rules of the bus, listen to the driver, remain in their
seats, refrain from eating and drinking anything while on the bus, and follow the directions
of the bus patrols when entering or exiting the bus.
School Handbook
For more information concerning school policies and procedures please refer to the
school website where you will find the updated school handbook. The address is:
http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/brantave/index.aspx
(Just look to the left of the screen to click on the “School Handbook” link.)
Safety Patrols
Student patrols are on duty for fifteen minutes before classes begin and after classes end.
Patrol Time: 8:40 - 8:55 am
3:15 - 3:30 pm
Allergies
Many students suffer daily from allergies. Reactions to allergic substances vary from
relatively mild irritations to potentially fatal conditions where the sufferer experiences
breathing problems and/or anaphylactic shock. As a result, we are asking students to
not bring any products containing tree nuts, peanuts or WOW butter to school.
Please be aware that there may be additional restrictions in your child’s class to protect a
student with other such allergies. We ask that you abide by any restrictions that may be
imposed in these cases.
Parents of students with potentially life threatening allergies are asked to inform the
office.
Child and Youth Counselor
Mrs. Fonte will be here Monday mornings and Tuesday to Friday afternoons.
Mrs. Fonte can be reached at 519-824-2671 ext. 227.
The Child and Youth Counselor’s role is to support students, staff and parents. Some of
the topics include social skills development, anger management, bereavement, family
separation or divorce, self-esteem, conflict between friends, bullying, anxiety and family
issues. Support for the students will be focused on social, emotional and behavioural
concerns. Support can be individual, classroom or group.
Student Accident Insurance
Parents or guardians are responsible for expenses related to student injuries on school
premises during school activities. Accidents can and do happen and the costs involved
might not be fully covered by Provincial Health Care or employer group insurance plans.
The Upper Grand District School Board is empowered under the Education Act to offer
Accident and Life Insurance for students.
Information will be sent home early in September with respect to Student Accident
Insurance offered by Reliable Life Insurance Company. You should receive the
Director’s letter, an Acknowledgment to be signed by parents (and returned to the school)
and a Student Accident Insurance application form (to be mailed directly to Reliable Life).
Please do not return your application to the school office. Reliable Life Insurance
Company offers a variety of options, including family rates and multi-year plans, at
affordable prices. The cost must be paid by the parents or guardians.
Subscription is directly through Reliable Life by mail or on line. Questions should be
directed to Reliable Life at 1-800-463-5437 or www.insuremykids.com.
For today’s active children, especially those who participate in field trips, co-curricular and
other school activities outside the school day, Student Accident Insurance is valuable.
You can find additional information on the Board’s website at www.ugdsb.on.ca.
Dates to Remember
September 25
Bring Your Parents to Breakfast/ Open House 9:00 am –
10:00 am
September 26
Terry Fox Walk – 2:00pm
October 1
Picture Day
October 13
Thanksgiving Holiday – NO SCHOOL
October 24
Ministry Mandated Day/NO SCHOOL
From Brant Healthy Living Peer Leaders:
•
•
•
Recruiting Brant Healthy Living Peer Leaders! Help us plan and offer programs
for family and community health. Examples include: Zumba, Community
Gardening, Brant Family Chefs. Contact Peggy at 821-6638 ext. 367
or pnickels@guelphchc.ca
Brant Yoga – Come out to our free weekly drop-in Yoga Program, Monday nights,
Brant School, 6:15-7:15 pm. Starting in the gym Monday September 15. Offered
by Guelph Community Health Centre. Contact Peggy at 821-6638 3st. 367
or pnickels@guelphchc.ca
We will be starting Zumba back up again too, the time and date will be finalized
soon!
~
Sun
September 2014
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
Holiday – NO
SCHOOL
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Spirit
Assembly –
Blue & White
Day 9am –
10am
21
22
23
28
29
30
24
25
26
Bring Your
Terry Fox
Parents to
Walk –
Breakfast/
2:00pm
Open House
9:00 am–
10:00am
Notes/ Reminders:
27
October 1st – PICTURE DAY
Created with WinCalendar Calendar Creator
More Templates: 2014 Calendar, 2015 Calendar
Learning? Thinking? Or Learning to Think?
Everyone sends their child to school to learn. Or do we? Do we send our children to school to become
programmed robots who simply regurgitate facts and formulas, or do we send them to school to learn
to think?
Learning is not about committing ideas to memory. Learning is about exploring ideas and building on our
understanding of the world. Remember your two year old child who never stopped asking “why”? They
were learning to make sense of the world around them. Learning is about problem solving, generating
ideas, analyzing facts, critically evaluating decisions and asking questions to make sense of things. David
Perkins in Smart Schools (1992) says that “learning is a consequence of thinking”. Scores on a test
(depending on the test) are not evidence of learning.
I know as a parent, I often said to my children; “think about it”, “think for yourself, or “what do you
think?” For those of you with pre-teens and teens, I’m sure, like me, there were plenty of times you
wished you knew what they were thinking (well, maybe not all the time)!
As parents we need to model thinking and learning for our children. Instead of saying “I don’t know” or
“because I said so”, we need to share our perspectives, insights, ideas and misunderstandings with our
children. We need to share how we plan, organize, make a decision and seek clarity at home or at work.
We need to share our thinking with our children so they can develop their own ideas and learn how to
think.
When our children offer a differing opinion, we need to value what they have to say, instead of allowing
it to become a “because I said so” power struggle. We need to ask our children this simple question;
“what makes you say that?”, and listen – really listen. We need to have them explain and share their
thinking with us. Even when their ideas are very different from ours, we need to give them their voice,
and then offer ours with an explanation as to why we think that way.
Tonight when your children come home from school don’t ask them what they learned today or what
they did. Instead, ask them what made them think today. When they look at you as if you have two
heads and have completely lost it, ask them more questions. Push them to think. Together, we need to
encourage them to question what they see and read on the internet, we need to model for them how to
make informed decisions, and we need to prepare them for jobs not yet created.
Excited, interested energy is learning, because that’s when thinking occurs; that’s when children own
their learning, and that’s what going to school is all about.
Cheryl Van Ooteghem
Principal of Program
Our board has a wonderful resource for all of our students that can be accessed 24/7
from school or from home. It’s called UG2GO and includes Learn360 (educational video
streaming), Student Link (a site children use at school that gives them access to web
sites that are kid friendly and relate directly to their current units of study), Tumblebooks
(a site that has hundreds of books children can click on and have read to them),
Overdrive (eBooks and audiobooks), and much more.
When students are at home they can go to this URL:
https://www.ugdsb.on.ca/ug2go
They will be prompted to enter the same Windows username and password that they
use at school to get onto the school network. Once they enter their Windows
username/password they will enter the site and they can then click on any of the
resources and be taken directly to the individual resource without the need for any
additional passwords.
Please take a few minutes to explore the site with your child. It is an important tool that
will aid them in their education, and may make your life easier when it comes to
homework and projects. We are excited that students will be able to access information
from anywhere and at anytime in this information age!
Download