C. Scott - Principal Check out our Website at: http://parnall.dsbn.org or follow us on Twitter @parnall_ps

WE ARE COUNTING DOWN TO

KINDERGARTEN

Thursday, February 5, 2015 is Kindergar-

ten OPEN HOUSE registration day, ALL

DAY. If you live within the Parnall Public

School area and have a child who will be 4

years of age by December 31, 2015, he/

she is eligible to attend our full day Kin-

dergarten program beginning September,

2015. Please note that copies of proof of

age by Birth Certificate or Birth Regis-

tration and proof of Immunization are

required to complete registration. Any

legal documents regarding custody ar-

rangements are requested as well. Please

note that an address of a grandparent,

child care giver etc. cannot be used to

register your child. Your address (where

you and your child reside) is critical to

the registration process. Also, please

bring your Kindergarten child with you

when you come to register at the school.

See you on February 5, 2015! You are also

welcome to download a pdf copy of the

REGISTRATION FORM from the DSBN

website www.dsbn.org and click on

“Welcome to Kindergarten” and bring it

along with you for a speedier registration.

We can’t wait to see you!

A MESSAGE FROM

THE PRINCIPAL

It’s hard to believe how fast this

school year seems to be flying by.

Term 1 Report Cards will be sent

home this week On February 6th.

Please see page 4 of this newsletter

for more information. A reminder

that February 13th is an Early Release

Day and that the following Monday is

Family Day.

PAC MEETING

Our next scheduled Par-

nall Advisory Council

meeting is set for Tuesday February

24th at 7:00 p.m.

If you would like to take a more ac-

tive role in your child’s school, please

consider coming out. We encourage

any and all interested parents to at-

tend.

INTERMEDIATE

COOKING CLUB

Miss Watson and

the Intermediate

Cooking Club would

like to thank the Education Founda-

tion of Niagara for their generous

donation! Their donation has helped to

provide our club with the equipment

and supplies necessary for it start up

and initial session!

February 2, 2015

NEWSLETTER IMPORTANT DATES

TO REMEMBER:

Kindergarten Open

House 10 a.m. to 6

p.m. - Feb. 5th

Monthly Assembly -

Feb. 6th — 1:40 p.m.

Term 1 Reports go

home - Feb. 6th

100th Day of School -

Feb. 6th

Red, White & Pink

Day - Feb. 13th

Early Release Day -

Feb. 13th

Family Day (No

School) - Feb. 16th

Kindergarten Pan-

cake lunch - Feb.

17th

Gr. 4’s off to see Ni-

agara Youth Orches-

tra at Brock - Feb.

18th

Volume 3 Issue 6

Contact us at:

Phone: 905-934-3348

Fax: 905-934-3349

E-mail: par@dsbn.org

P A R N A L L P U B L I C S C H O O L

A TREASURE TROVE OF LEARNING!!

507 Geneva St., St. Catharines, ON L2N 2H7

Page 2

PARNALL PUBLIC SCHOOL — February Newsletter

JANUARY’S SUPER STARS

Summer C. Trent E. Charlie F. Zoe I.

Logan P. Taylor S. Cooper J. Bella S.

Gabriel B. Jahniya-Lee M. Lockie M. Jack W.

Lily R. Rebecca V. Chelsey P. Joshua W. Silas B.

Zala I. Jaden P. Damon W. Nathan B-P. Marissa B.

Riley L. Naomi B. Emma D. Macara H. Ty A.

Sam D. Joel M. Hope M. Owen P. Ethan P.

Thomas D. Julia P. Hunter S. Maya S. Danny L.

Issac A. Nolan M. Taylor L. Ethan M. Kyle R.

Thomas C. Kiya C. Morgan G. Mikka H. Noah W.

Zachary W. Jillian J. Jamie P. Daniel S.

Callum W. Chaeri K. Orlin C. Bernd F. Kennedy R.

Victor F. Will J. Ben M. Liam P. Ethan T.

Noah J. Hannah M.

JANUARY’S CHARACTER EDUCATION WINNERS

Page 3

PARNALL PUBLIC SCHOOL — February Newsletter

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD STAY ORGANIZED

In these busy times, family life is increasingly hectic. The key to staying organ-

ized is planning in advance and establishing routines. Here are some suggestions

to help teach your child how to organize for school and personal activities.

1. Plan ahead.

Children in Grades 1-8 use the Parnall Public School AGENDA to keep assignments in order. Parents should re-

view their child’s AGENDA with their child often, and talk about upcoming assignments and tests. In order to

make things less stressful, have your child list upcoming activities in their AGENDA and such activities as an

upcoming soccer game, birthday or dentist appointment.

2. Begin each morning the night before.

Pack book bags, lay out clothes, prepare lunches and review assignments due the next day so that children and

parents have little to worry about as they leave in the morning. Keep back packs in the same place for “pick up”.

3. Set aside “Homework Time”.

Set time each night for homework so that it becomes routine. Even if your child tells you that they don’t have

any homework, then request that they “make some” just so that they get into that important routine (i.e. re-

view multiplication times tables, practice spelling words, write a story about what they did that day etc.) Be

considerate of your child’s homework time by not watching television yourself. Instead “homework time” can be

used by parents as well to pay bills, read mail, write correspondence, read a newspaper etc. Designate a work

area for your child, such as a desk in the child’s room, dining room or kitchen table, where your child can spread

the work out with little distraction.

4. Allow “Down Time” each night.

Just as adults need time to unwind from a busy day, so do children. Set aside time after homework for children

to relax. Encourage productive relaxation such as reading a book for fun. It’s a good time for the entire family

to catch up on the day’s activities.

5. “Check In” together.

Designate a “check in” station in a common area of the house for everyone...such as the kitchen. Lay out the

Parnall Public Monthly School Calendar and mark significant upcoming events such as a dentist’s appointment.

Encourage children to stop by the “check in” station each morning and evening to update themselves on what

might be going on that week. Also encourage children to write in their own significant practices, school plays

and birthday parties on this calendar. This encourages responsibility as well as organization and children see

that their responsibilities are just as significant as those of their parents. We are so sure that the AGENDA

is a practical tool, that teachers always promote its daily use within the classroom. We believe that it is a valu-

able tool to assist with organizational skills and time management.

Page 4

PARNALL PUBLIC SCHOOL — February Newsletter

VACCINES AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

At this time of year, Niagara Region Public Health conducts an annual review of vaccination records for all elementary

school children in the Niagara region. If the vaccination information we have on file for your child is NOT complete, you will

receive a suspension letter in the mail from Public Health next month (March 2015).

Please take a moment to ensure that your child’s immunizations are up-to-date and that you have reported your child’s vac-

cinations to Niagara Region Public Health using ONE of the following:

WEBSITE: www.niagararegion.ca

TELEPHONE (Immunization Report Line): 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7459

FAX (a copy of your child’s Immunization Record): 905-688-8225

In most cases, we are missing vaccination information about your child’s: booster dose of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and

polio (DPTP/Quadracel) between the ages of 4 and 6; and, second dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

If you are a parent/guardian not wishing to immunize your child, you will need to provide Niagara Region Public Health with

an original legal exemption document (i.e., a statement of medical exemption, or a statement of conscience or religious be-

lief affidavit).

Please call the Vaccine Preventable Disease Program at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7425 if you have any ques-

tions or concerns.

TERM 1 REPORT CARD

On February 6, 2015 all Grades 1-8 students will bring home the Term 1 elementary report card. The Progress Report in

November provided you with information about how your child was learning in the classroom and gave an indication of pro-

gress towards achieving the curriculum expectations for all subjects.

Learning Skills and Work Habits are an important focus of this report card. These are critical life skills that students will

work on from Grades 1 to Grade 12. Teachers evaluate how well students are achieving these skills for their grade level

and include a comment about each student's strengths and some next steps for continued growth.

For each subject being taught this term, your child will receive either a letter grade (Grades 1-6) or a percentage grade

(Grades 7 & 8). If a subject is only being taught in Term 2, then the teacher will check NA (not applicable) for that sub-

ject on the report card. For each subject, there will be a comment that describes your child's strengths and some next

steps that will support learning in Term 2.

Communication between teachers and parents/guardians is an important support for student success. We encourage all par-

ents/guardians to discuss the report card with your child. All parents/guardians are invited to contact the school if you

would like to schedule an opportunity to discuss your child's achievement and next steps for learning with his/her teacher.

*Note* - Kindergarten reports will also be going home on February 6th. JK reports indicate student progress for each sub-

ject area (Beginning, Progressing or Insufficient Evidence). The SK reports have comments only for each subject area.

Page 5

PARNALL PUBLIC SCHOOL — February Newsletter

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause trans-

portation cancellations or school closures.

At times when student transportation has been cancelled and schools remain open, the decision of whether

or not to have children in school on that day rests with the parent or guardian.

Should you decide not to send your child to school in the event that transportation is cancelled but

schools remain open, or if your child is ill or late, please ensure that you call your child’s school to

inform them of your child’s absence.

A key resource in any emergency is the DSBN Emergency Information form that you filled out at the be-

ginning of the school year. Please let the school know of any changes in contact information or procedures

you wish to be followed throughout the school year.

For secondary schools it may become necessary to cancel late buses. Notice will be provided via school

announcements and on the websites and subscription features by 11:30 a.m.

Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will be available as soon as it is available

through the following channels:

Websites:

www.dsbn.org

www.nsts.ca

Subscription Features:

DSBN Facebook or Twitter

NSTS Transportation Delay or Cancellation Alerts

Phone:

Niagara Student Transportation Services 905-346-0290 Voice Auto Attendant

Radio Stations:

Television Stations:

CH - Hamilton CTV Toronto CityTV Breakfast Television Cogeco Channel 10

CKTB (610 AM) St. Catharines CHRE (105.7 FM) St. Catharines

WAVE (94.7 FM) Hamilton CHTZ-FM (97.7 FM) St. Catharines

CKOC (1150 AM) Hamilton CKEY (105.1 FM) Niagara Falls/Fort Erie

CHML (900 AM) Hamilton K-LITE-FM (102.9 FM) Hamilton

CHAM (820 AM) Hamilton GIANT FM (91.7 FM) Welland

Y-108(107.9) Hamilton

Page 6

PARNALL PUBLIC SCHOOL — February Newsletter

MESSAGES FROM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE

Being Heart Healthy:

February is heart health month, a great time to assess habits and make healthy life-

style choices to decrease your risk of heart disease; eat healthy, be physically active

and reduce your stress level. Contact your school nurse for more information. Parent

councils…why not organize a CPR training event for parents and caregivers? Visit

www.heartniagara.com for more information.

Winter Fitness:

You don’t need to become a professional athlete to enjoy be-

ing active in winter and all year through. Here are some ideas

to stay active in winter: tobogganing, ice skating, snowshoe-

ing, cross-country and downhill skiing, making snowmen, snow

angels, snow forts, pole walking, winter hikes or winter scav-

enger hunts. Snow creates a whole new world to explore. Re-

member to: dress in layers, wear a warm hat, wear a helmet

(if you are skating, downhill skiing or tobogganing), bring ex-

tra mittens and socks in case they get wet, Keep your feet

warm, and most of all, have fun!