March 2015

Volume 4, Issue 7

MPVPS News

Message from the Principal: Dates to remember:

March 2—Gr 6, 7 & 8 Girls Basketball Away

Tournament

March 3—Scientists in School Grade 4’s

March 3—Gr 6, 7 & 8 Boys Basketball Away

Tournament

March 11, 18, 25 First Aid Training for

Grades 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 students who

have pre-registered only

March 31 —Last day for Forest of Reading

April 9 —Round 3 Immunizations for

Grades 7 and 8 only

No school for students on the following dates:

March 16 to 20 (inclusive)—Spring Break

April 3—Good Friday

April 6—Easter Monday

PIZZA DAY WILL BE HELD EVERY FRIDAY for Grades 1-8

Pizza order forms have changed and will be for the entire month

for delivery every Friday. Pizza orders are due by the first

Wednesday of each month, payable in cash—exact change only,

we cannot accept cheques.

Pizza Days for Mar/Apr are on: March 6 April 10

March 13 April 17

March 27 April 24

March pizza form due March 4th. Sor-

ry, no late orders accepted!

Kindergarten classes have their own pizza day and order form,

please check with your child’s Kindergarten teacher for dates.

***LUNCH LADY ORDERS***

Lunch Lady is available to order monthly, and is served to your

child every Monday. You can order online by creating an account

at www.thelunchlady.ca/Order Now. If you choose to send in the

order form, please provide exact change.

COOKIES AND CHOCOLATE BARS are sold in the office at each nutrition break Cookies are $1.00 each, they

are Halal, Kosher, peanut and nut free. Chocolate bars are $2.00 each, we have Cadbury Dairy Milk or Neilson Jersey Milk.

The Grade 8 classes, wish to thank all

the parents and students who helped

support our student-run businesses!

It was a great success for all!

Dear Mount Pleasant Village Community:

Mount Pleasant Village PS welcomed many new kinder

garten registrations as we begin to look toward our fifth

year, this coming fall. They will be a great addition to our

family in September.

We look forward to seeing for signs of spring, and finally

wearing lighter clothing! I think we can wish winter a fond

farewell soon, it has really had us all bundled up in warm

clothing for far too long.

March Break is right around the corner and we wish you a

safe and “Pleasant” holiday.

Denise Ingoldsby

Principal

NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ROOM:

During the first week of March there will be a sign-up sheet outside the music room for students to

audition for the March Music Café! Students that have performed for our previous Music Café concerts have surprised

themselves with courage and left with a great sense of pride! Please encourage your child(ren) to sign up.

For the beginning of term 2 we are focussed on learning music theory through playing the piano. We are also learning chords on

the ukulele (grades 3-6) and guitar (grade 7-8) and soon we will be using these chords to create songs with chord progressions,

melodies and rhythms!

If your child is really enjoying piano, please consider putting them in private piano lessons over

the summer! Here’s why:

http://www.encoremusiclessons.com/images/infographic/infographic-piano-lessons-are-good-for-

you-and-your-brain.png

Peace,

Mr. Kiernander

Music Teacher

MOUNT PLEASANT VILLAGE TIMETABLE

ENTRY BELL – 8:10

STUDENT SHOULD BE AT THEIR SEATS IN CLASS FOR:

HOME ROOM – 8:15 – 8:35

PERIOD 1 – 8:35 – 9:15

PERIOD 2—9:15—9:55

PERIOD 3 – 9:55 – 10:35

1ST NUTRITION BREAK – 10:35 – 11:15

10:35—10:55 Grades 1—4 IN Grades 5—8 OUT

10:55—11:15 Grades 1—4 OUT Grades 5—8 IN

PERIOD 4 – 11:15 – 11:55

PERIOD5– 11:55 – 12:35

2ND NUTRITION BREAK – 12:35 – 1:15

12:35—12:55 Grades 1—4 IN Grades 5—8 OUT

12:55—1:15 Grades 1—4 OUT Grades 5—8 IN

PERIOD 6 – 1:15 – 1:55

PERIOD 7 – 1:55 – 2:35

DISMISSAL – 2:35

PLEASE PICK UP YOUR CHILD PROMPTLY AT

END OF DAY.

ATTENDANCE INFORMATION! PLEASE call in to let us know if your child is

going to be absent or late

905-495-8778, (press 1 for the attendance line)

When leaving a message please SPEAK SLOWLY AND CLEARLY.

SPELL the child’s FIRST and LAST name, as we have many children

with the same or similar names in a classroom. Please leave the

teacher’s name or classroom number and the reason for absence (sick,

appointment, etc.). A good rule of thumb: if it is a regular school day

and your child(ren) is/are with you for the day, please call us.

VACATIONS: Please come to the office and ask for a vacation form

before you leave for vacation. We have an important letter to share

outlining details on how your child can keep up to date on their grade

level work. Vacations longer than 15 days will require us to

demit your child from school. It will be necessary

to re-register your child at school upon your

return. We can make the process simple if you

inform us ahead of your vacation plans. Please

note that we cannot guarantee a spot in your child’s current classroom if they have been

away on extended vacation.

MPVPS monthly NEWSLETTER is available

online to save PAPER! You can get the full

edition and all the additional flyers online at:

http://schools.peelschools.org/1534/Pages/default.aspx

ATTENDANCE & VACATION INFORMATION

LIBRARY NEWS FOR MARCH:

Wow!! February was a busy and exciting month at MPV Library and it looks like March will be

the same! Forest of Reading is going strong and everyday at both nutrition breaks, students

faithfully meet at the library and read their selected title or meet with a book expert to discuss

the book. Everyone now has had the opportunity to be trained on blogging. Our website is

mpvforestofreading.weebly.com.

A huge thank you to Aastha S. in Grade 7 for setting up the blog and to Aastha, Sarah L. and

Shawmiya J. for teaching the grade 3, 4 and 5 students how to blog at nutrition breaks. Over 175 conversations

have been started on the blog for many of the books so keep reading and blogging MPV!!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 is World Read Aloud Day and we are joining in the worldwide celebrations. Last

year over one million people in more than 80 countries celebrated this day of joy and this year it is the goal to spread it to 100 countries. At MPV we are going to “drop everything and read aloud” for one period. Why don’t all

our families at MPV join the movement and spread the word by taking the time to read together before the end of

the day on Wednesday! Our students have been invited to enter a contest to design a poster for the day - good luck

everyone!

Lastly, the Public Library at MPV is hosting lots of great events over the March Break so remember to pick up a copy

of the Program Guide. Bingo, Creating a Moveable Robotic Hand, Wild Animal Show, Simple Computer

Programming and a Creative Station are just some of the highlights. There is something for all ages so please

come out and join in the fun!

That’s all for now everyone! Happy Reading!

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, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.

Unique Symposium Addresses the needs of Families of Children with Special Needs

This free family event is being held at West Credit Secondary School during the afternoon of April 18th. Agencies such as Peel Children’s Centre, Erinoak, Mother-

Risk, CCAC will be in attendance as well as presenters that will address the social/emotional and behavioural needs of unique children. Parents will have the oppor-

tunity to ask psychiatrists, social workers, speech and language and behavioural specialists, questions about community resources and network with other parents.

There is limited babysitting available.

This free event is open to parents of all grade levels. Please speak to your school administrator for a registration form or e-mail trelawny.ps@peelsb.com or call

905-824-0360 ext 402.

Spirit Days and Assemblies

Mount Pleasant Village will hold assemblies the last Friday of every month, which coincides with our Spirit Days. We

will send home information every month for our Spirit Days.

At each assembly, Recognition Certificates will be given out to students that have demonstrated a particular skill

taught and practiced by all in the learning community (TRIBES). The focus of February’s focus was: Caring.

The focus for March is: Honesty.

February’s Recognition Certificate recipients are:

Grade 3: Grade 6:

Julise B. Amy R.

Kindergarten: Senean G. Tavleen B.

(Junior and Senior) Danial C. Jasdeep S. Grade 1:

Nimrit A. Farah I. Smiksha S. Diya L.

Aaliyah G. Zayan K. Naba M. Kaila A.

Towmiwa R. Gurnoor M. Jayden T.

Fatima J. Grade 4: Areeb A. Delisha A.

Vaishali S. Jaivik J. Josiah W.

Eva S. Sophia J. Grade 7: Stuti S.

Abdullah I. Aditya G. Risha H. Uday S.

Aaron B. Adrian R. Patrick T.

Jenai D.F. Neelaksh G. Chanpreet S. Grade 2:

Yuvraj K. Jeffrey N.

Vrinda S. Grade 5: Asiya H.H.

Ashwin U. Asia F. Grade 8: Guru M.

Silena B. Sahir A. Kiara V. R. J. F.

Lauren T. Kathy H. Jordan N. Veer C.

Dyan B. Abel C.

Mahreen F.

Supreet P.

Traffic Update

On Tuesday, February 17 the Brampton School Traffic Safety Council conducted a site safety inspection

for Mount Pleasant Village at the request of the school. We have not seen the report yet, but are hopeful

that the council will provide solutions to help ensure safety on the streets around our school.

One change of note is that we were recently able to get some of the signage changed on Commuter

Drive to make it more practical for parents. The area in front of the school on Commuter Drive is

now a no parking zone (instead of a no stopping zone) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This means that parents can stop here, but are still

not allowed to leave their car. Please note that part of the lay-by closest to Bleasdale is a school bus loading zone and

must be reserved for our bus in the morning. We highly encourage parents to use Bleasdale Avenue (at the back of the

school), the lay-bys to the south of the school entrance on Commuter Drive, or the lay-bys on Sidford Road if you are picking up

or dropping off your children. Please note that the lay-bys on Commuter Drive closest to the Library/Community

Centre often have available spaces both before and after school. Parents are highly encouraged to use these

spaces to park legally and then have only a very short walk to the school.

Please remember that:

Cars should not be stopping in the intersection in front of the school

All students must use one of the crosswalks on Commuter Drive to cross the road at all times, even if they are accompanied

by an adult

U-turns are not permitted in front of the school

Double parking is not permitted in front of the school

It is important to note that the city often has parking officers in the area and tickets have been issued in the past. Mount Pleasant

Village was designed to be a ‘walking school’ and we encourage as many families as possible to abide by this. Walking to school is

not only good exercise, but it helps to greatly reduce traffic congestion around the school. Again, if you need to drive, please

avoid the front of the school and use one of the lay-bys at the side or back of the school.

The number one priority is that all of our students are safe. We ask for your full cooperation in ensuring this.

Thank-you,

Denise Ingoldsby Steve Gibson

Principal Vice-Principal

Mount Pleasant Village Public School celebrates

Education Week 2015

Inspire. Greatness. Together.

Peel public schools will host hundreds of special activities and events to celebrate Education Week 2015 April 13 to 24. The theme for this year's two week-long focus on education is "Inspire. Greatness. Together."

Each year, more than 50,000 parents and community members across Peel attend activities and events during Edu-cation Week. We are looking forward to an equally successful week this year.

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 attend-ing child care, where they spread through direct hair-to-hair contact or directly by sharing things like hats, combs, hairbrushes or head-phones.

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).

CONSENT TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION FROM Mount Pleasant Village PS

I hereby consent to receive electronic communication from Mount Pleasant Village PS at the email address I have provided

below. I understand this consent will be effective for the duration of my child’s education at Mount Pleasant

Village Public School. I understand this information may be shared with the School Council (co-)chair(s) for the purposes

of sending School Council information to me via email.

Date:____________________ Parent/Guardian Name(s): ________________________________________________

I am/We are the parent(s)/guardian(s) of ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

(include full names and grades of all students—please list each child so we can place a copy of this form in their file).

Email address(es): _______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Consent to receive electronic communication

Dear Families:

As you may know, Canada’s new anti-spam law came into effect on July 1, 2014. This law requires the Peel District School Board and its schools to have

consent from you before we send you any electronic communication (e.g. synrevoice texts, email) that contains commercial information.

While the majority of Mount Pleasant Village PS’s electronic communication to families is about school and/or Peel board initiatives and activities, we

may also include commercial information, such as details about fundraisers, field trips, the sale of yearbooks, student pictures, book sales, event tickets,

special offers for Peel students and families, or similar events and offers.

Although we may have previously collected your email address, in order to be compliant with the new law, we must receive your consent (in writing) to

receive electronic communication from our school.

If you wish to receive information, including school newsletters, from our school via email or other electronic communication, please provide your

consent by filling out and submitting an online form available at http://subscribe.peelschools.org

You may also choose to provide your consent by filling in the required information in the form below and returning it to your child's teacher.

If you do not provide your consent, you will not receive any electronic communication from Mount Pleasant Village PS. You may withdraw your

consent and unsubscribe from our communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any future email. If you have any questions or concerns,

please contact the school at 905-495-8778.

**Please note this consent request is separate from our school website’s subscription service. Even if you have already provided consent to receive emails

from our school website, you must still complete and submit this form in order to receive information updates from the school via other electronic means.

If you have not already submitted this form for your child, could you please do so—it will remain in their file for their entire elementary

schooling at Mount Pleasant Village PS.

Apply for a position on the board's French as a Second Language

Advisory Committee

The Peel District School Board is currently seeking parent members for its first French as a Second Language Adviso-

ry committee. The committee will meet three to four times during the school year to provide input and feedback in

an advisory capacity to the board regarding the development and implementation of French programs and initiatives.

We are now in the process of inviting parents to apply for eight available positions on the committee.

Members will be selected based on the following criteria:

demonstrates a keen interest in public education and French as a Second Language programs

understands the importance of parent, family and community engagement

has experience working with French language/cultural organizations

demonstrates advocacy and community development skills

has a present level of involvement in the education system

reflects the diversity of the community

If interested, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/involved/french for an application and more details.

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

For more information on the event and Kids’ CBC, visit www.cbc.ca/parents.

Kids’ CBC hosts a free family kite festival event on March 21 & 22

This free family event will feature an exciting day full of fun for kids as they make kites, rangoli designs, spin tops, hear

South Asian stories and enjoy a digital gaming zone and more. They will also meet and greet with their favourite Kids’

CBC characters including host Patty, Daniel Tiger, Bookaboo and Super WHY! The kids will have a chance to appear on camera, as Kids’ CBC camera crew captures fun moments of the day to be

featured on-air and on the Kids’ CBC YouTube Channel.

Saturday March 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Mississauga Central Library

301 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga

Sunday March 22, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Bramalea City Centre

25 Peel Centre Drive, Brampto

H E L P Y O U R F A M I LY S TA Y W A R M T H I S W I N T E R

Peel Public Health recommends the following cold weather guidelines for preventing cold-weather 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, mit-

tens, 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 de-

hydration.

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 recog-

nizing signs of cold injury.

Using social media safely

With the growing number of social media sites, it is no surprise that social media is the most common

form of communication for children and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages,

video uploads, tweets and texts have become a regular part of their lives. While there are many positive

benefits to using social media, including staying connected with friends and expressing your interests,

students must be cautious in their use of these networks.

Among the most popular social media platforms used are Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram,

WeChat, Vine and Kik Messenger. Many of these platforms are free and are available on smartphones and

other electronic devices. These platforms are easy to navigate and often allow information to be shared

instantly, not only with friends, but with strangers. On social media, it is important to remember that the world is watching.

Here are some tips, provided by the Canadian Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to keep your

children safe and help them make smart choices when using social media:

Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or

games console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the way they use it or the

settings.

Have a conversation about what is appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge

repercussions that could damage their reputation and be harmful to others.

Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they

come across something they find worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.

Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments,

photos and videos all form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available

on the internet forever, even if it is subsequently deleted.

Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection, and that they

shouldn’t do anything online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Users should only accept people

they know in order to protect themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using

social networking sites to commit crimes.

Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually

‘talking’ to online, even if they think they do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text

with strangers, and it’s never okay to meet a stranger in the real world.

Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn how privacy

settings work on your children’s favourite sites, and teach them how to control their privacy.

Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes,

but is not limited to, his or her full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance

number, credit card information and parents’ full names.

Limit the amount of time that your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the im-

portance of healthy and appropriate use of technology.