Volume 26 No. 8
2015 03 26
Together, Making A Difference…..One Student At A Time
From The Principal’s Desk
It was with excitement and anticipation that the first
day of spring rolled around last week. However, it
still seems more like winter outside. We are looking
forward to warmer weather very soon, but until then
your cooperation in ensuring that children are dressed
for the weather is greatly appreciated.
With warm weather approaching (hopefully!!)we want
to remind you of the James McQueen expectations for
student dress. The following expectations derive from
the school board’s Policy 514 on Appropriate Dress for
Students, as well as established and accepted practices
in our community:
1.
2.
Students shall dress in attire that is modest,
free of symbols of hate, gang membership or
images that portray death, abuse, alcohol,
cigarettes, drugs, obscene words, political,
racial or sexual statements.
In warm weather student attire shall be
appropriate for and provide sufficient,
modest coverage of the body such that no
undergarments are visible.
Students footwear should provide sufficient
support for active play (many reported injuries at
the office result from trips and falls related to flip
flops and crocs) but will require proper athletic
footwear which provides sufficient support for
safe and comfortable participation in formal
physical education and organized daily physical
activities.
Should you have any questions, require further
information or wish to have a conversation on this
matter, please contact me at the school at your
convenience.
Happy Spring!!!
Sincerely,
L. Lacey,
Principal
Pizza Days
Our next order is due by Monday,
April 27th . You may send one
cheque for your family but please
remember that you MUST SEND AN
ORDER FORM FOR EACH CHILD TO
THAT CHILD’S TEACHER!! Cheques are
made payable to: James McQueen Public School.
Yearbooks For Sale!
Once again this year there will be James McQueen
P.S. yearbooks for sale for the price of $10.00. Order
forms have been sent home. Please return the forms,
along with your money, to Mrs. Hopf in the office by
Friday, May 22nd. The yearbooks will be distributed
before the end of the school year.
Thank You!!
School Council Corner…
A huge thank you goes out to all of the James
McQueen families as they helped to surpass our goal
of $250 for the Live Free event! We had $180 in
online donations and added $221 in profit from our
cookie sales. On our Live Free day we brought in over
$400 – that’s over $800 going directly back to our
Food and Friends snack program here at James
McQueen! This will go so far to continue to provide
delicious and healthy snacks for our students. Thank
you!
The 20th Annual James McQueen Easter Bunny
Breakfast is this Saturday, March 28th from 9-11 a.m.
We can still accept donations for the silent auction – if
you have any unused gift cards or other items around
the house you would like to donate, please contact us
at jmpsbunnybreakfast@gmail.com . Perhaps you
have an “in” at a family attraction or local business?
No prize is too small and all prizes are greatly
appreciated! Also, be on the lookout for information
coming home with your children regarding food
donations and volunteer recruitment. We will be
looking for donations of syrup, butter, coffee, milk,
sugar, fruit salad, and frozen juice. Many hands are
needed for this event, so if you have some time to
spare this week or on the day of the event itself, we
would love to hear from you!
EQAO Assessment This
Spring
In the coming weeks, students in grade 3 will begin
preparing for the provincial Education Quality
Assurance Office’s (EQAO) annual assessment of
mathematics and language skill. This standardized
test is scheduled to occur at our school during the last
week of May or first week of June.
EQAO testing and results have no bearing on the
child’s grades or placement for subsequent years in
school and are used in a diagnostic and feedback
process aimed at supporting our ongoing school
improvement goals. You support in reinforcing the
importance of the process and content is valuable in
acquiring an accurate assessment of students skill in
our school this year.
MAD Science for
Kindergarten!!!!
This spring Mad Science is going to be offered to our
kindergarten students for the first time!! This session
will only be for kindergarten students and
information has been sent home. There is no
obligation for your child to join. The workshops will
run for 6 weeks (from April 21st to May 26th) during
the first nutrition break. If you do wish your child to
participate, please return the registration form and
payment to the school office NO LATER THAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8th.
Have you given to the Learning Foundation
yet?
It’s easy – visit
www.uppergrandlearningfoundation.com and
direct your funds to James McQueen Public School. If
every family gave $30 we would raise as much as we
have in previous years. Your contribution will support
class trips, arts and science programming (e.g.
Scientists in School, local authors), and play yard
equipment, etc. And you get a tax credit !
Give us your email address….
…and we’ll keep you up to date on everything you
need to know at James McQueen. It’s so easy – go to
http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/jamesmcqueen/ and click on
the “subscribe” button. You will receive notification
every time a newsletter comes out, as well as other
updates.
Next School Council Meeting
School Council meetings are open to everyone
– join us the second Wednesday of the month – the
next meeting is Wednesday, April 8 from 6:30
to 8:00 p.m. Free babysitting is available.
Participating in school council is a great way to play
an active role in your child’s school experience within
this incredible school community – and we promise
you won’t have to bake or fundraise!!
Dates to Remember……
Friday, April 3
Good Friday.
Wednesday, April 8
School Council Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome!
Monday, April 6
Thursday, April 9
Friday, April 10
Friday, April 17
Wednesday, April 22
Thursday, April 23
Friday, April 24
Easter Monday.
Mrs. Lehman’s class visits the Sugar Bush this morning.
Mme Bennett’s, Mlle Skerritt’s and Mme Tovell’s grade 1’s visit the Sugar Bush
this morning.
Backwards Day at JMPS!!
Pottery-To-Go for Mme Bennett’s, Mme Skerritt’s, Mme Tovell’s and Mrs. Wasson’s
classes.
Earth Day!!
Comfy Cozy Games Day!!
P.A. Day
Monday, April 27
Pizza orders for May are due today!
Thursday, April 30
Jump Rope Kick off Assembly at 11:20 a.m.
Tuesday, April 28
Lockdown drill at 10:00 a.m.
LAST MONTH’S NEWSLETTER DRAW WINNER IS……..….Markus Grenfell!! Congratulations!!!
Comments…..
April2015
Child Abuse Prevention Policy and Program
The Upper Grand District School Board places a high priority on the safety of our
students. The child Abuse Prevention Policy is evidence of our commitment to this
priority. The following is a quote from this policy:
"Every citizen in the community shares a responsibility for our children. School officials and
teachers share this collective community responsibility for creating safe and nurturing
environments for children. Under the Child and Family Services Act, this responsibility includes
the legal requirement to report to the local Children s Aid Society any suspected child abuse or
other situations where a child may be in need of protection. Teachers and other Board
employees have a special opportunity to know and understand children during their most
influential years of development. They are in a unique position to be able to see early signs of
maltreatment, and to know or hear about the abuse and neglect that is often suffered by children. "
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.
During the month of April or early May students in grades one and three participate in
lessons from the Red Cross C.A.R.E kit and while grade five students will be taught the
new Kids in the Know Child Abuse Prevention program by their classroom teachers with
the support of the Child and Youth Counsellor. There is no formal program in grade two,
four and six, although the safety concepts are reviewed by classroom teachers informally.
We encourage you to discuss with your child at home, the concepts taught in the Child
Abuse Prevention Curriculum.
For more information regarding the Child Abuse Prevention Policy and/or Programs
please contact Larry Lacey, Principal or Rhonda Spindley, Child and Youth Counsellor.
EARTH DAY NEWS!!!!!!!!
Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for
environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and
celebrated in more than 192 countries each year. There are many ways we can celebrate Earth Day, but don’t restrict yourself
to just one day a year; learn about how you can make a difference and protect the environment all the time. Put it into practice
every day!
Here are some things that we can all do to save/help the environment and ourselves:
Plant a tree
Buy local
Cloth napkins
Save water
Rain Barrels
Walk or ride your bike
Reuse water bottles
Lug-a-mug
Neighbourhood cleanup
Minimize inside cooking in the summer
Buy bigger (instead of individual packaging), use reusable containers
Plant wildflowers
Make nature crafts at school or home
Hold a garage sale, donate or reuse household items
Hold a clothing swap
Turn off the lights when not in use
Grow your own food
Compost
Here are a few other ideas:
Gift wrap/bags…..buy reusable shopping bags and use them for gift wrap.
Laundry…..make your own laundry detergent from Ivory soap, washing soda, and borax. It takes less time to make 3.5 gallons
of detergent than it would to drive to the store. Try using vinegar instead of fabric softener, and try skipping the use of dryer
sheets in the dryer.
Buy or make earth-friendly cleaning products…..try making up a simple vinegar & water counter cleaner or swapping out your
bleach cleaner for a less toxic orange based one.
GOOS paper…..if your kids are bringing paper home from school that has only been used on one side, save this paper for crafts,
or for printing emails/recipes. GOOS (Good on one side).
Find out where your energy is going…..purchase a kilowatt tester that shows how much energy is being used by different plugin devices around your home. This will let you see where you are using the most energy and where you can cut back.
Discover how you can help wildlife…go to the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s website and discover a variety of ways you can
help our planet, and the animals in it. http://cwf-fcf.org/en/do-something/events/national-wildlife-week/national-wildlifeweek-tips.html