Volume 25 No. 7
2014 04 29
Together, Making A Difference…..One Student At A Time
From The Principal’s Desk
It is amazing what a difference the sunshine and a few
extra degrees of temperature can make in one’s
outlook and energy level! It is also glorious to finally
see everything green and growing. The next 8 weeks
of school promise to be very eventful ones, with trips,
projects and activities occurring around the school in
in every class and grade. We look forward to all of
them!
With the change of season many children like to wear
cooler footwear such as sandals and crocs. Should
your child make such choices, please ensure that they
also have footwear at school which offers proper
support for running and physical activity, so we can
avoid turned ankles, trips and scrapes.
Spring is also the time when many children wish to
ride their bikes to school. This is just a reminder that
because of school board insurance and safety
requirements, bicycles are the only kind of wheeled
vehicles permitted on school grounds. Skateboards,
scooters, in-line skates and other kinds of wheeled
shoes need to stay at home. Your support in
reinforcing bike safety expectations with your child
will be appreciated, specifically:
1.
2.
3.
Wearing a helmet.
Following the rules of the road.
Respecting pedestrians, especially by
walking one’s bike on school grounds.
Similarily, your assistance in keeping dogs leashed
and the fence line is appreciated.
If there is any information that you need me to know
about your child for 2014/2015 class placements,
please do not hesitate in giving me a call or dropping
by to see me. Your input is always welcome!
Happy Spring!!!
Sincerely,
L. Lacey,
Principal
Pizza Days
Our next order will be due on Monday, May 26th for
grades 1-6. 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.
Jump Rope for Heart
On Thursday, May 8th our
school will again be
supporting the Heart and
Stroke Foundation of
Ontario with a skipping
event. All of our classes
will be skipping in the
morning outside, weather
permitting. (alt. kdgn. will skip on May 7th). Pledge
information has been sent home.
Get Movin’ in May
Once again this year we are encouraging all staff and
students to take part in “Get Movin’ in May!”
Everyone is encouraged to do at least 20 minutes of
cardiovascular activity each day of May and record it
on a sheet that will be sent home on April 30th.
Students will fill out the sheet and return it with a
parent’s signature at the end of May to win some
sports equipment for themselves and their classroom.
There will be one draw per classroom but only those
students who return their sheets signed will be
eligible. We also encourage parents to take part as
well! If you would like a sheet for yourself, please
have your child pick on up in the office. We will also
be starting everyday will exercise being led over the
PA by Mrs. Hopf. Let’s all “Get Movin’ in May”…..and
beyond!!
New Orleans Fundraising
Nights!
Once again this year, New Orleans Pizza is holding
their annual fundraising nights on May
5, 6 and 7th. Part of the proceeds
will come back to our school
and all you have to do is enjoy
some yummy pizza!! Information
was sent home on Monday!!!
Yearbooks For Sale!
Mrs. Hopf is still taking orders for the yearbook until
May 23rd. Order forms are available in the school
office.
Check Out This Math Blog
Using your home computer with an educational
purpose. Take a tour of the following Math blog:
http://beyondtraditionalmath.wordpress.com/mathplay-20-minutes-a-day/
More Children Can Get Free
Dental Care
More children will qualify for free dental care as of
April 1, 2014 due to changes to the Healthy
Smiles Ontario Program. The income
thresholds have changed and now include the
number of children in the family. This affects
children and youth up to the age of 18 who are
residents of Ontario and have no access to any
form of dental coverage.
If you think a child may qualify for Healthy
Smiles Ontario, contact Public Health at 1-800265-7293 ext. 2661. We will help you with the
application process and answer any questions.
Talking About Mental Health!
May 4-11 is Child and Youth Mental Health Week!
Child and Youth Mental Health Week is about
promoting mental wellness, increasing awareness of
the signs of child and youth mental health problems,
decreasing stigma and understanding that help is
available and treatment works. The more we know
about mental health, the more able we are to reach
out for support. There should be no shame in talking
about mental health issues. The more we talk about
this, the more we reduce the associated stigma so that
young people can get the help that they need when
they need it most.
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To celebrate Mental Health and Wellness we can:
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Chalk It Up! Write positive messages in
chalk to spread the message of mental
wellbeing and hope!
Make a Wall of Hope. Have your children
and yourself write positive messages or draw
positive pictures and put them up on the
fridge or around the house throughout the
week.
Make a Jar of Happiness. Everyday write
down one positive thing that happened that
day. At the end of the week or month, open
the jar and read through all the positive
things that happened!
Our schools and community are taking part in many
events around Child and Youth Mental Health Week
including:
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Many Elementary Schools are participating
in a group reading of the book “I Can Believe
in Myself” by Miriam Laundry, which
inspires children to shred the “I can’t” and
believe in “I can”. You may want to read this
book with your child and figure out how to
have more “I can” in your home.
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
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message on the outside and contact
information on the inside.
CMHA WWD and GLOWW are having a
Walk and Family Fun Day in Exhibition
Park, Guelph from 1-5 on Sunday, May 4.
Everyone is welcome to come to the park and
join in the walk that starts at 2:00.
The Dufferin Parent Support Network and
DCAFS present a session on Drugs Affect
Mental Health in Teens as part of We’re
Talking about Kids Mental Health. The
session is May 1 at Montgomery Village
Public School. Visit www.dpsn.ca to register.
A Permanent Solution, by Tom Slater, is
being presented by students from JF Ross
CVI. The play presents a poignant and
hopeful look at mental health and suicide to
raise awareness and bring this discussion out
of the shadows and into our communities.
Performances: Guelph–May 6 at 7:00 pm at
JF Ross CVI; Orangeville–May 15 at 8:00 at
ODSS; and Mt. Forest-May 30 at 7:30 at
WHSS. The performances are free and open
to the public.
Erin DHS on May 1, 2, 3 at 7:30 pm students
will be presenting Paul Zindel’s play, “The
Effects of Gamma Rays On The Man-In-TheMoon-Marigolds”. The play is both tragic
and hopeful, full of darkness and yet
illuminating, sad and joyful and it cleverly
depicts the complex issues of children living
within a volatile home. The cost is $8.00.
If you or your children are experiencing concerns with
mental health, please contact your family physician or
contact:
DCAFS 1-519-941-1530 – Services for Children/Youth
in Dufferin. Talk-In Clinic Tuesdays 1-7 pm.
CMHA WWD 1-844-437-4237-Services for
Children/Youth in Guelph/Wellington and Adults in
Guelph/Wellington/Dufferin. Walk in Clinic
Tuesdays 1:30-7:00 pm.
KidsHelpPhone.ca (1-800-668-6868) for children
and teens to call any time when they need someone to
talk to. For youth there is also an online chat with a
counselor on Thursday to Sunday nights. The website
has lots of good information about mental wellness
and mental health issues.
School Council Corner…
Easter Bunny Breakfast a Hopping Success!
Our school was hopping with activity as the Easter Bunny
visited for breakfast on Saturday, April 5. Families enjoyed a
delicious pancake breakfast, face painting, silent auctions,
penny tables, baking and guessing games. The event raised
nearly $3,000.00 for our School Council! This was the 19th
Annual Easter Bunny Breakfast, an event that brings out the
school community and is very well supported by local
businesses and a hard working group of volunteers.
Volunteers worked with Fraberts Fresh Food top prepare
and flip 1,300 pancakes before the event and the Terpstra
family worked hard in the morning of the event to get an
additional 200 pancakes made. Our wonderful staff
contributed baking for the silent auction. Over 50 other
silent auction items were donated by local businesses and
families including Kelly Sobol, Thirty One Gifts, Elora
Labels, the Fergus BIA, I Love Chocolate, The Grape House,
Elora Centre for the Arts, Township of Centre Wellington,
Bingemans, Moynihan Family Martial Arts, New Happy
Garden Restaurant, Guelph Storm, Toronto Zoo, Big Monkey
Little Monkey, Village Kids, Motion Electrical Contracting
Inc., Canadian Tire, Fitness Kickboxing Fergus, Ranger
Hannah, Wrapped by Sarah, Bryan Paul, Ecclestone
Financial Group, Golden Fish and Chips, Kirsty Coles,
Remax, Homesense, Pottery to Go, Damien Stark PM Inc.
Karen Zelch, Melissa Prudence, Anne Prudence, Cathy
Bingham, RK House, Denise Schieck, The Bender Family,
Ted and Lisa Arnott, Larry Lacey, Martha Duncan, and
Phorkysroom. Thank you to all the businesses and families
who donated items or their time to make this event such a
success, especially Kim Saunders, who chairs the event’s
committee, Kim Blanchard who organizes the silent auction,
members of the school council and school families who
volunteered their time and all of the staff. A big thank you to
Lisa Arnott who puts her heart and soul into this event every
year. We can’t do it without ALL of these wonderful people
coming together!
Local Author Lisa Dalrymple to Visit!
Back by popular demand…Lisa Dalrymple, local author of
“Skink on the Brink” and other favourites, will be doing
writing workshops with the kids on May 5th (May 6th for alt.
kdgn), funded by your School Council. She will include a
reading/discussion of “Skink on the Brink”, endangered
species, and habitat conservation – appropriate to the grade
level of each audience. There will also be a plasticine art
component to the workshop. Check your child’s backpack
for an order form from last week if you wish to pre-order any
of Lisa’s books.
Field Trips
Thanks to all of the successful fundraising throughout this
year, School Council was able to provide $5.00 per student
for end of year trips. These field trips are an important
opportunity for our kids to do some learning beyond the
classroom. Thanks for all of your support to make this
possible!
Need Labels?
Summer Camp season is around the corner! Get your
students’ stuff labeled and help your school at the same time.
Two great fundraisers to choose from:
Elora Labels…..we are thrilled to offer a fundraising
opportunity with a local label company, Elora Labels, again
this year. They have fun designs, offer several great packages
and they are local! The also offer allergy labels which are a
great idea for kids or adults. A portion of all purchases is
returned to James McQueen Parent Council. It’s a win-win
situation. You support a local business, get great affordable
labels and help support your school!
https://eloralabel.com/jamesmcqueen
Mabel’s Labels….are you a die hard Mabel’s Labels
supporter? Don’t fret, we still enjoy a fundraising
partnership with them also. Visit
http://jmps.mabelslabels.com for the same great products
you’ve always enjoyed.
Bike Safety Rodeo
The Optimist Club is hosting a bike rodeo on June 14th from
1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Come on
out and take part in an OPP instructed safety program and
try out the obstacle course. There will be a draw for a free
bike! A great opportunity to hear from the OPP about bike
safety with the kids.
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.
Help us cut our photocopy costs and save some trees along
the way!
Next School Council Meeting – Wednesday, May 14th
– 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
School Council meetings are open to everyone – join
us the second Wednesday of the month – next meeting is
Wednesday, May 14th, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. There is free
babysitting available. With so much going on this year,
participating in school council is a great way to play an active
role in your child’s school experience within this incredible
school community.
Dates to Remember……
Monday, May 5
Education Week begins!!
Arts Program taking place in Gym today!!
New Orleans Pizza fundraising night from 4:00 pm until close!
Tuesday, May 6
T/TH Kindergarten Class Photos will be taken this morning. All students receive a
class photo at no charge.
Arts Program this afternoon for Alt. JK/SK classes.
New Orleans Pizza fundraising night from 4:00 pm until close!
Wednesday, May 7
Class photos will be taken this morning. All students receive a class photo at no
charge.
Jump Rope for Heart for kindergarten at 11:15 a.m.
School Council Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is Welcome!!
Last night of New Orleans Pizza fundraising from 4:00 pm until close!!
Thursday, May 8
Jump Rope for Heart this morning for all classes.
Open House at J.D. Hogarth for students attending next year – 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Tuesday, May 13
Humane Society Visits.
Wednesday, May 14
Humane Society Visits.
Thursday, May 15
Creative Encounters visit.
Friday, May 16
Creative Encounters visit.
Monday, May 19
Victoria Day!
Tuesday, May 20
Kindergarten students visit Royal Botanical Gardens this morning.
Wednesday, May 21
Kindergarten students visit Royal Botanical Gardens this morning.
Thursday, May 29
Grade 5’s from JD Hogarth coming to read to students this morning.
Friday, May 30
Comfy Cozy Games Day.
Last month’s newsletter draw winners were…….Marley & Keegan Rody. Congratulations!!