Laurelwoods Elementary School
Newsletter
September 2014
PRINCIPAL NEWS
Hello, and, welcome back to a new school year. I hope that everyone had a fun, safe and restful
summer! I am delighted to be back at Laurelwoods as the principal and I am excited to be working with the
students, staff and families of Laurelwoods. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new families to
the school.
We have a new staff member joining Laurelwoods this year - Mr. David Gordanier is our new Grade 5/6
teacher. We are very pleased to have Mr. Gordanier join the Laurelwoods staff. In addition, I would like to
welcome back Mrs. Amy Rayfield who is returning from her maternity leave and will be teaching the Grade 1/2
class.
We are very excited to have our new playground that was installed over the summer. On behalf of the
entire school, I would like to thank the School Council for its dedication to fundraising for the playground. In
addition, we were fortunate to receive generous donations from Perry and Sylvie McPherson and from local
author Jim Shaw towards the purchase of the new play structure.
The teachers have been working very hard to prepare their classrooms for the students’ arrival and the
rooms are looking great! A huge thanks goes out to Mr. Watson and his team who have spent the summer
cleaning the school and giving it a spectacular shine.
I would like to remind parents that every year the school board has to review our classroom
organizations to ensure that all schools are compliant with the Ministry of Education’s guidelines regarding
class sizes. Due to this fact, classroom organizations may have to change. If we are in a position to
reorganize, I will send a letter home to those parents whose children are affected by the changes.
As we start the school year please remember that we have a number of children in our school who
have anaphylactic allergies toward peanuts. Please keep this in mind when preparing lunches and snacks
In continuing with the tradition that we started last year, there will be 2 options for parents regarding the
method by which you receive our monthly newsletter. Option #1: You could sign up to receive an email when
the newsletter has been posted to the Laurelwoods website, http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/laurel. Once you are at
the website, you click on “Newsletter” and then go to the bottom of that page to enter in your email address.
Option #2: For those families who do not have access to the Internet at home, we can send a copy home with
your youngest child at the school. Please complete the form below and send it in to your child’s teacher to
indicate how you would like to receive the newsletter. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
I wish everyone a fantastic 2014-2015 school year!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Walker

I would prefer a paper copy of the newsletter, and my youngest and/or only child at Laurelwoods
is _____________________________________ in ________________________________ Class
(Child’s name)
(Teacher’s Name)
Attendance:
Student Information Sheets:
Just a reminder that if your child will
not be attending school or will be late
on any given day, please call us at 519-940-3666
on the attendance line. Ext. 100. Please include
your child’s name, the bus number, the
teacher’s name and indicate illness or absence
for any other reason. It is the parent’s
responsibility to notify the school if their
child(ren) will be absent or late. We also request
that you send a note (include the bus number
and teacher’s name) or call the school before 2:30
p.m. if you are picking your child(ren) up during the
day or at the end of the day.
For the safety and well-being of your child, it is
critical that the school has your child’s information
on file particularly local emergency contacts.
Please carefully review the student information
forms that have been sent home with your child to
make certain that they are accurate. If changes
are needed, please cross out the old
information and add the updated information to
the form. As well, please make sure that you
sign and date the bottom of the form and return
these forms by Friday, September 19th .
School Security:
We would like to remind all parents to enter the
building using the front door and to always check
in at the office. Children entering and leaving the
school during the school day must do so via the
office. We thank you for your cooperation as we are
continuing to work toward keeping all children safe
at Laurelwoods.
Parent Volunteer Procedures:
Parent volunteers are a valuable resource to the
school. We appreciate the many hours that parents
provide in order to work with students and assist
with many fundraising events at the school. If you
wish to volunteer on a regular basis we require
parents and guardians to complete a “Volunteer”
form and provide a recent police check for us to
keep on file. We ask that all volunteers report to the
office to sign in upon arrival and to sign out when
leaving the building. A special “volunteer tag” must
be worn which will identify you to the students.
These tags can be picked up and dropped off at the
office.
Periodic Head Lice Checks:
Please check your children under bright lights,
parting and lifting strands of hair. Please also let
the school know if your child has lice. Please treat
your child and remove all the nits. Thank you for
your help.
Student Accident Insurance Forms:
Student Accident Insurance forms will be sent
home the week of September 8th . Please seriously
consider this option. The Upper Grand District
School Board endorses this inexpensive accident
insurance coverage. The school board does not
carry accident insurance benefits for children. It is
highly recommended that all students participating
in school sports and extended field trips purchase
student accident insurance.
Freedom of Information:
Included with the newsletter you will find
information that outlines the guidelines that Boards
of Education must follow when protecting the
personal information of their students. Please read
this information, complete page three and return it
to your child’s teacher by September12th.
Indoor/Outdoor Shoes:
We remind parents that in order to avoid accidents,
students should have a pair of “indoor” shoes when
they are at school. We have had students slip and
fall in the gym after wearing their “indoor”
shoes outside during a wet or snowy
recess. Having a pair of indoor running
shoes helps to reduce the risk of injury.
We ask that you purchase running shoes
with non-marking soles. We appreciate your
support with this matter.
Student Agendas:
Students in grades 1 to 8 will utilize a
school agenda this year. We
appreciate your contribution of $6.00 to
help cover the cost. We encourage all
parents to provide this organizational
tool for their child(ren). Agendas are an excellent
form of communication between home and school.
Bicycles and Safety:
A reminder that parents must complete a
permission form for their child before they ride their
bicycles to school. These forms are available in the
office. Students must wear protective head gear,
use a bike lock and will not be dismissed until after
the last bus has departed.
Bus Routines:
Medication at School:
If your child will not be taking the bus after
school, please follow the procedure below:
1. If you know the night before that you will be
picking up your child(ren) the next day, please write
a note to the teacher indicating that you do not
wish your child(ren) to take the bus, please include
the bus number. Once the teacher receives your
note, the note is sent to the office. The office will
produce a “bus slip” which is a 3-part form. One
copy informs the bus driver, one copy reminds the
child(ren) and teacher(s) at 3:15 p.m., and the final
copy is kept for reference at the office.
It is the policy of the Upper Grand District School
Board for an “Administration of Medication” form to
be completed for students requiring medication at
school. The Board’s interpretation of medication
includes: Tylenol, allergy medication, and any
prescribed medications. The storing of medication
in lunch kits or book bags is not permitted with the
exception of asthma inhalers and epi-pens. This is
due to safety concerns for other children coming in
contact with the prescribed medication. Should you
require a medication form, please inform your
child’s teacher or the school office.
2. Should something arise during the day creating
the need for you to pick up your child, please
telephone the school prior to 2:30p.m. This will
allow office staff to complete the necessary
paperwork required so that the bus driver,
student(s) and teacher(s) are informed of the
change in transportation arrangements using a “bus
slip”. Students being picked up by parents will
report to the front foyer at 3:15 p.m. Parents are
asked to check in at the office and remain in the
front foyer to meet their child(ren). Please do not
proceed to the classrooms.
Milk Program:
3. Students will not be permitted to travel on a
different bus for the purpose of birthday parties, for
“one time babysitting”, or just to visit with
classmates after school. Most of the buses
servicing Laurelwoods are at capacity and cannot
accommodate additional students.
Payments:
We appreciate your support with
regards to the above bus policy
Students will once again be able to
purchase milk from the vending machine this year.
The milk tokens for the machine will be sold at a
cost of $17.00 for twenty or individually for $1.00.
Students will deposit the tokens into the vending
machine and receive their choice of a 250ml. carton
of chocolate or white milk. Parents wishing to
include their children in this milk program are asked
to make cheques payable to Laurelwoods E. S. If
you have any questions about the program, please
contact the school office.
When sending funds to the school for
payment of milk, class trips, etc., please
make sure that you send the correct
amount as the school does not have cash
on hand to make change. Cheques made payable
to Laurelwoods Elementary School is preferred.
Please do not combine school and food payments
on one cheque. Any overpayment will be
considered a donation to the school.
School Bus Code of Conduct:
Our school bus drivers are trained professionals
who are committed to providing a safe environment
for your child while they are traveling to and from
school. Please share the following information with
your child(ren) and encourage them to respect
safety first when traveling on the bus. The Upper
Grand District School Board endorses the following
bus protocol:
•
•
•
•
•
follow the direction of the bus driver
be at your stop at least 5-10 min.
before your pick up time
stay seated when the bus is in
motion
no eating, drinking or using
inappropriate language
keep books, lunch bag and school
bag on your lap
Electronic Devices:
Students are asked not to bring expensive
electronic toys or devices to school. Cell phones,
handheld games and digital cameras are not
permitted at school. In the case of cell phones - if
students have an emergency at school our staff
should be contacting parents and students should
be using the school’s phone if necessary. Thank
you for your cooperation.
Picture Day:
Friday, October 3rd, 2014 is picture day.
Remember to bring your smiles!! More information
will be sent home closer to picture day.
School Organizations:
September 2014-2015 School Day Schedule
Schools have built class lists based on their
tentative organization. Changes may be necessary
at your child(ren)’s school in order that our Board
remain compliant with Ministry parameters (see
below). Any changes would be implemented by
Monday, September 15th at the latest. Principals
do not have the option of changing the school
organization that is set by the District Staffing
Committee of the Board. If changes affect your
child(ren), you will be informed by the school.
8:45 am – Entry
8:45 am – 10:25 am
10:25 am – 11:10 am
Ministry of Education Parameters:
• Full Day Kindergarten Class Size Average for the
Board is 26 students
• 90% of the Board’s primary classes with 20 or
fewer students
• 10% of the Board’s primary classes up to a
maximum of 23 students
• Grade 3/4 classes have a cap of 23 students
• Junior/Intermediate Class Size Average for the
Board is 25.2 students to 1 teacher
Tuesdays are Cookie Days:
Mrs. Jordan's class will once again sell cookies at
first nutrition break.Terra Cotta Cookies are low in
fat, Trans fat free, and made in a peanut and nut
free facility. They meet government guidelines for
Healthy Food and Beverage Policy 150. Cookies
are $1.00 each, and all proceeds go to celebrate
student successes, including graduation.
11:10 am – 1:10 pm
1:10 pm – 1:55 pm
1:55 pm – 3:15 pm
3:15 pm
Instructional Time
BREAK/Snack (students
have snack 15 min./outside
30 min.)
Instructional Time
BREAK/Snack (students
eat lunch 20 min./outside
25 min.)
Instructional Time
Dismissal
142nd Grand Valley Fall Fair- September 19,
20, & 21, 2014:
The theme this year is A Taste of Autumn! The
Grand Valley Agricultural Society invites all families
to come out and enjoy all that the Fair has to offersomething for everyone! Join in the Parade on
Saturday or bring your pet to the Pet Show on
Sunday! There are too many events to list… Fair
books will be available from local businesses, or
visit the website: www.grandvalleyfallfair.ca to view
the entire fairbook and read about more
information.
Advanced tickets will be available at several
Scotiabank branches until Thursday, September
19th for $6.00 per day. See you at the Fair!
School Council News:
Our first School Council Meeting will be held in the
Library on Thursday, September 25th, 2014 at 7:00
p.m. Elections for the 2014 – 2015 year will be held
at this meeting. Please come out and join us.
September Newsletter Draw Winner
Win A Dairy Queen Gift Certificate:
After your family has read this newsletter, please sign and detach this coupon. “Our family” must include at
least one parent/guardian who has read the newsletter. This coupon must be placed in the yellow mailbox in
the front hall of the school. A ballot will be drawn from the yellow mailbox each month indicating the winning
family for the month. This month’s draw will be held on Monday, September 30th, 2014.
Our family has read the newsletter corresponding to this draw.
Family Name: ___________________________
Child’s Name: ____________________________
Parent’s Signature: _________________________
Tentative School Organization: 2014 – 2015 Voicemail Extensions
KA
KB
Gr. 1a
Gr. 1/2b
Gr. 2/3a
Gr. 3/4b
Gr. 4/5a
Gr. 5/6b
Gr. 6a
Gr. 7/8a
Gr. 7/8b
Gr. 7/8c
Ms. S. Panter
Ms. L. Gaudette
Mrs. C. Gard
Mrs. A. Rayfield
Ms. K. Kennedy
Ms. S. Neil
Ms. C. Gibson
Mr. D. Gordanier
Ms. P. Michels
Mrs. S. Jordan
Mrs. K. Martin
Mr. C. Johnson
479
466
453
406
456
455
482
487
462
481
405
458
French
Resource
Resource
Ms. L. Neumann
Ms. M. McDonald
Madame Chalifoux
484
459
469
Librarian
CYC
EA
EA
Ms. D. Kerr
Ms. D. Cellucci
Ms. C. Marshall
Ms. J. Tupling
452
227
420
419
DECE
Ms. S. Brailsford
480
Office Coordinator
Head Care Taker
Principal
Ms. K. Gardhouse
Mr. M. Watson
Mr. J. Walker
221
230
223
Grand Valley Fall Agricultural Awareness
Day:
Help your children navigate a
media dominated world.
The Grand Valley Agricultural Society is hosting
their Agriculture Awareness Day on Wednesday,
September 17th, 2014. Our Grade 3’s will be
attending the Agriculture Barn in Grand Valley to
learn about dairy, beef, sheep, poultry, grains and
seeds, bees, alpacas and more.
In today’s busy world, the media * is
constantly sending subtle messages to our children
that is impacting their mental health and
behaviours. Join us for a fast-paced 90 min
presentation that will inform parents on the
implications these messages have on their kid’s
self-esteem and social interactions with peers,
family and others. Learn parenting tips and tools to
help your children navigate today’s mediadominated world.
Lightning Wear:
Location: Orangeville Public Library – Mill Street
branch
Register: Online – visit
www.familytransitionplace.ca or call 519-942-4122,
ext. 245
Cost: $10/family (youth 14 and older) – if the cost of
registration is a restriction, please email
kelly@familytransitionplace.ca
NO REFUNDS – LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE
Please watch for upcoming notices regarding the
purchasing of Lightning Wear! There will be a
variety of items and sizes available to students,
parents and staff. All orders will be placed online.
*television, video games, movies, advertisements
and the Internet
Meet the Teacher Night
Thursday, September 18, 2014
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Our Well and Drinking Water:
TOONIE FOR TERRY:
We are one of the 14 schools in our district that
gets their drinking water from wells. All of our other
schools are on municipal water systems.
The Province’s Drinking Water System Regulation
(Ontario Regulation 170/03) requires us to test the
water at our school regularly and provide an annual
report. The report covers many aspects of the
drinking water system and includes information on
its performance, operation and test results.
You can come into the school office and get a copy
of this report, or go to the board’s website
www.ugdsb.on.ca/dw to see our annual report and
those for the other sites.
The regular testing helps ensure that the water
supply in our schools continues to be safe and of a
high quality.
Terry Fox (July 28, 1958 – June 28,
1981) was a Canadian athlete,
humanitarian, and Cancer research
activist. In 1980, with one leg having been
amputated, he began a cross-Canada run to raise
money and awareness for Cancer research.
Although the spread of his cancer eventually
stopped his run and cost him his life, his efforts
have made a huge impact worldwide. The annual
Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to
involve millions of participants in over 60 countries
and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser
for Cancer research; over $600 million has been
raised in his name.
At Laurelwoods, we will be holding our annual Terry
Fox Run on September 24th, at 2:00 p.m. We will
be walking/running rain or shine! Please donate a
Toonie for Terry and become part of the Marathon
of Hope and help find a cure for Cancer!
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.
Breakfast Club – Start the day right:
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 any time in this
information age!
This year the Breakfast Club at Laurelwoods will
run every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
morning. The “Breakfast Club” at Laurelwoods has
been in operation since the school opened and has
provided breakfast for many children since that
time. The program is one that is offered nationwide
to various schools. The Breakfast Club continues
to be a wonderful place for children who may need
a little “extra” something first thing in the morning.
Over the years, the program has been helped
through our school volunteer program. If you have
any questions, or would like more information about
how to contribute, please feel free to call our Child
and Youth Counsellor – Danielle Cellucci.
Volunteers are needed, so if you are looking at
doing some volunteering, please call! Students will
need the Breakfast Club Letter signed by a parent
or guardian to attend. The forms will be available
at the office.
September 2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
Wed
Thurs
2
3
Fri
Sat
4
5
6
JK staggered entry JK Staggered entry
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Freedom of Info
sheets due
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Big Kid Production
Presentation
Grade 3 Trip to GV
Fairgrounds
21
22
Grade 8 trip to
Island Lake
28
29
Grade 7/8 Soccer
Tournament
23
Grade 4 - 6 Soccer
Tournament
30
24
Terry Fox Run
OCT 1
Grade 7/8
Vaccinations
Student
Info sheets due
6:30 p.m.
25
26
Parent Council
Meeting & Elections
7:00 p.m.
OCT 2
OCT 3
Photo day
27
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