Bus cancellation & closing schools due to bad weather
During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement
weather.
Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio and
television stations listed below and posted at www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca.
Information will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at
www.facebook.com/peelschools or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.
VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9
CFNY FM102.1/AM640
CFRB AM1010
FM Z103.5
CHIN FM100.7/AM1540
CITYPULSE
CHUM AM1050
CJCL AM590
EZ ROCK FM97.3
FM93.1
CBC99.1
GLOBAL NEWS
CFTR AM680
CHFI FM98.1
CJBC (FR) AM860
FM Q107
CTV
One of the following messages will be announced (highlighted text only):
Peel District School Board buses are cancelled.
This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus
cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All
activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and
other activities in schools will operate as usual.
All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed.
This means that all schools and Board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in
schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits.
All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled.
This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing
education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.
All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled.
This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing
education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.
Conference helps parents ‘make a difference in numeracy and
beyond’
The Peel District School Board is hosting its annual parent conference on Saturday, April 18,
2015 at Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School in Brampton. This year, Numeracy & Beyond:
Parent Conference, will focus on numeracy—25 out of 60 workshops help with math. Parents
will still have the opportunity to attend workshops on other topics, including literacy, special
education and science.
This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels.
Registration is now open. Register at:
www.peelschools.org/parents/conference/register
Stay up-to-date!
For more information, look out for the conference flyer at your child's school in February or
visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.
Help your family stay warm this winter
Peel Public Health recommends the following cold weather guidelines for preventing coldweather injuries:
1. Reduce amount of time children (grade 8 and under) spend outdoors when the temperature is –
20 degrees Celsius or colder, with or without the wind chill. Keep children indoors when the
temperature is -25 degrees Celsius or colder, with or without wind chill. Some medical
conditions may increase sensitivity to cold. Parents should consult their physician (Source:
Environment Canada).
2. Allow indoor breaks if children say they are feeling cold or during extreme temperatures.
3. Ensure children are dressed warmly, covering exposed skin: insulated boots, winter weight
coats, mittens, hats, neck warmers.
4. Change wet clothing or footwear immediately.
5. Although these conditions are unlikely to occur during the school day, ensure that all staff are
able to recognize and treat symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. Given plenty of warm fluids
to prevent dehydration.
6. When children are outside, be watchful for shivering or signs of numbness in faces, ears, hands
or feet.
7. Educate children in dealing with cold weather: drinking plenty of fluids, dressing warmly, and
recognizing signs of cold injury.
Offence Declaration required for returning volunteers
Parents play an important role in the development and education of their children and in the
success of the school community. At Thomas Street Middle School we welcome and encourage
the participation of parents and community members, and are grateful for the countless hours
our volunteers contribute throughout the school year.
To volunteer at our school, you must complete a short interview and a criminal record check. A
criminal record check is required for all school volunteers in Ontario. Even if you want to
accompany your child on a field trip, you need this record check.
Once you have completed the process, you are on file with the Peel District School Board as
being a school volunteer. All returning volunteers will be mailed an Offence Declaration Form
that must be filled out and returned to the board office each year. You will not be able to
volunteer with the Peel board if you do not return this form. Forms will be mailed home in
February.
Traffic safety in our community
Safety is a top priority at our school. Here is a list of traffic tips to keep students, staff and
parents safe while commuting to and from school.
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Respect traffic signs and road markers around the school.
Drive slowly and with caution on and near school property. Adhere to the posted speed
limits on any surrounding streets used by students on their way to and from school.
Always yield to pedestrian traffic. Wait for students, staff members and parents to cross
before driving past them.
When dropping your child off at the school, use the Kiss'n'Ride area. This is a supervised
area that is designed to keep students safe.
Do not double park or do anything else to block traffic or draw your child off the curb
and into traffic. Do not take shortcuts over curbs.
Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the curb. Say goodbye to your child
before you park at the curb to let your child out of your car.
During regular drop-off times, students are to remain in the car until it is safe for them
to exit the car onto the curb.
Follow the directions of staff or volunteers on duty in the school parking lot and treat
staff, students, volunteers, passengers and other drivers with respect.
Consider parking off site and walking a short distance to school. This will give you time
to talk to your children about their day, review new vocabulary words, math concepts,
etc.
Remind your child to only cross the street at an intersection or crosswalk. They should
never “jaywalk” by crossing in the middle of the street.
Students who bike to school should always wear a helmet, and follow all traffic laws.
They should only cross the street at a crosswalk or intersection—never in the middle of
the road.
Visit the Maple Sugar Bush at Jack Smythe Field Centre
Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as spring blossoms. The Jack Smythe Field Centre offers
an exceptional family experience with a visit to its Maple Syrup Bush. The March Break
programs runs from Wed., March 18, to Sat., March 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Sugar Bush program has been established for more than 15 years and provides families
with an educational activity and a hands-on experience. The program is run by Peel District
School Board teachers and staff during March Break.
Families are invited to get involved as spring comes to life in the following activities:
 help tap trees and empty sap buckets
 sample some freshly made maple syrup
 hike along our trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand
 learn how pioneers collected and produced syrup compared to modern-day operations
 visit the sugar shack where the sap boils and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of
the chimney
The cost is $5/adult and $4/child 12 and under (cash only). Lunch will be available for purchase.
It will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hot dogs for you to roast over an open fire.
Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta:
North on Mississauga Road, left on King Street (you will see Credit View Public School on your
left), right on Winston Churchill Boulevard (you must pass Terra Cotta Conservation Area on
your left) and proceed to the top of the hill and left into the Jack Smythe site.
For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771.
What is head lice?
Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp where they lay their eggs. They have three stages: the
egg (nit), the nymph and the adult. Head lice do not spread diseases and cannot be spread between
animals or pets and humans, only through direct contact between people.
Head lice spread easily, especially where people are in close contact. They are very common among
school-aged children or children attending child care, where they spread through direct hair-to-hair
contact or directly by sharing things like hats, combs, hairbrushes or headphones.
One of the first signs of head lice is an itchy scalp. However, children can have head lice for several
weeks with no symptoms. If you think your child has head lice, check their hair for nits right away, then
again after one week and after two weeks.
What to do if your child has lice
Parents are advised to keep their child at home until they have been treated for lice. Students may only
return to school if they are “nit-free.” If your child has live lice, ensure that they avoid head-to-head
contact with other children until the lice are gone. Children should not share combs, hairbrushes, caps,
hats or hair ornaments. You should also check all family members for head lice. Be sensitive to your
child’s feelings and let them know that having head lice does not mean they are not clean.
Head lice can be treated with the following approved insecticides:
 pyrethrin (found in R&C Shampoo + Conditioner)
 permethrin (Nix Creme Rinse or Kwellada-P Creme Rinse)
 lindane (Hexit Shampoo or PMS-Lindane Shampoo).
Register today for Adult ESL non-credit courses
Do you know an adult in Peel that is interested in improving their English language skills for
work, study or daily life?
The Peel District School Board offers Adult ESL courses at three locations in Brampton and
Mississauga. Winter courses begin February 2, 2015.
To learn more or to register, call 905-270-6000. Registration is ongoing and continues after
courses have started.
Bramalea
Adult Education Centre
25 Kings Cross Road, Unit 3
Brampton
Adult Education Centre
#300 - 7700 Hurontario Street
Mississauga
Adult Education Centre
100 Elm Drive West, Room 117
To learn more, visit www.peelschools.org/adulteducation.
Twitter: @PDSBLearnESL