Bus cancellation and 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, television stations and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org, Twitter @STOPRinfo and www.stopr.ca or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

One of the following messages will be announced:Peel District School Board buses are cancelledThis 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 closedThis means that all schools and Peel 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 cancelledThis means that all activities in schools and Peel 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 cancelledThis means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

Report your child’s immunizations to the Region of Peel online

When registering for school for the first time, parents and guardians are required to provide up-to-date immunization information for their children. This includes registering for kindergarten. You can update your child’s immunizations online. The online immunization tool allows you to attach a photo of the immunization record. When reporting online, an Ontario Health Card is required. Report immunizations online at: www.peelregion.ca/immunize After you report your immunizations online you will be given a reference number. Keep this number for your records. You will need to give this number to your child’s school when registering.If you do not have online access or your child does not have an Ontario Health Card, take a copy of the immunization record to the school. Make sure your child’s name and date of birth are visible on the record.

Call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 if your child does not have an immunization record or if you have any questions about immunization exemptions.

For more information, visit www.peelregion.ca/immunize

Peel Public Health shares tips to help prevent the flu

It’s flu season and we want to make sure students stay as healthy as possible this year! Influenza (flu) spreads easily from one person to another and Peel Public Health has some tips to help reduce the risk of catching the flu and spreading it:

Get your annual flu shot: The flu shot is your best defence against the flu. There are many locations across Peel where you can get your flu shots:

Family Doctors’ offices Walk-in clinics Pharmacies

Keep children home when they’re sick: If your child develops flu-like signs and symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue), keep them home from school. Contact your health care provider if symptoms are severe. Practice good hygiene: Help your child get into the habit of covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and throw tissues in the trash. Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, if they don’t have a tissue. They should also avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. This is how germs are spread.Wash your hands: Encourage your child to wash their hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, especially after they cough or sneeze.

For more information, call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.

Lunchroom Supervisors Appreciation Day on March 6

In 2017, the board of trustees declared the first Friday in March as Lunchroom Supervisors Appreciation Day. This year, the recognition day falls on Friday, March 6, 2020. Take this opportunity to thank the important work of lunchroom supervisors, and their support and commitment to helping to ensure that students are safe and secure.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial DiscriminationIn the Peel District School Board, we #ChooseACTION each and every day to proactively eliminate racism in all forms and be inclusive in our school communities. We use an anti-oppressive stance to support and maintain a safe and positive Climate for Learning and Working for staff, students and community well-being. This important day, which we will recognize as a board on Tuesday, March 24th, will help lead the work we all do in our schools with our students in support of equity and inclusion.

History of the Day:On March 21st, 1960, Afrikaner police opened fire and killed 69 Indigenous South African people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa. They were protesting the apartheid "pass laws" that severely restricted the movement and freedom of Indigenous South Africans. Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the General Assembly of the United Nations called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

Peel District School Board Focus:This year supports and resources focused on Anti-Black Racism and Islamophobia have been curated and provided to schools. Educators are encouraged to use this sampling of tools throughout the year in our schools and classrooms. Our goal is to

proactively eliminate racial discrimination every day. For more information and for activities to commemorate the day with your children please access the resources: www.peelschools.org/aboutus/equity

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, YouTube and Whatsapp 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 importance of healthy and appropriate use of technology.

2020 March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre

Open HouseWednesday, March 18 - Saturday, March 21

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as spring blossoms. Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional family experience with a visit to the Maple Syrup Sugar Bush. Join in on an authentic Canadian tradition. For a number of years, the Peel Field Centres have invited the public for an awe-inspiring visit to our outstanding Maple Sugar Bush during the March break. Individuals and families are invited to get involved as spring comes to life. Help empty sap buckets, tap trees or sample some freshly made maple syrup as we celebrate the new syrup season. Take a hike along our tranquil trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand.

Discover the importance of Ontario’s first harvest and witness some of the many ways both sweet water and maple syrup are made in this region. Your visit would not be complete without a trip to the sugar shack where the sap will boil and clouds of sweet smelling steam will billow out of the chimney. Have a taste of the freshly made syrup: it’s going to be sweet! The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/child 12 and under.

Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hotdogs for you to roast over an open fire. Please note that all payments are “cash” only.

For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771. Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta:

North on Mississauga Rd. Left on King St. (You will see Credit View P.S. on your left) Right on Winston Churchill Blvd. (You will pass the Terra Cotta Conservation Area on

your left) to the top of the hill Left into the Jack Smythe site.

Parent resources help you support your child’s learning

At the Peel board, our mission is to inspire success, confidence and hope in each child. There is no doubt that families play a vital role in helping us achieve this goal. As our partner in education, we hope you'll stay connected to your child's learning throughout his or her entire school experience.

Visit www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild to explore all resources available to parents. There you will find easy-to-navigate buttons that connect families to tip sheets and web pages on a number of different topics, including math, homework, special education, EQAO and mental health.

Keep your child’s eyes healthy

Did you know that vision problems in children often go unnoticed because kids don’t know any different? As many as 10 per cent of preschoolers will have vision difficulties that can affect the development of their sight if not treated. However, if caught by the age of 5, treatment will be most effective.

The Region of Peel recommends regular eye exams for your child to help find eye problems early and get the right treatment.

The best way to ensure good eye health is to have your child’s eyes checked by an optometrist. Yearly eye exams for children 19 and under are covered by OHIP.

What to expect at your child’s eye exam

An optometrist will complete:

General vision testing in both eyes. Eye muscle testing. Eye coordination testing. A general health assessment of the front and back of the eyes.

If needed, the optometrist will write a prescription for glasses for your child.For information on overall vision health, common signs of a possible eye problem and the programs available to you within Peel, visit www.peelregion.ca/vision-health

Talking With Children and Youth About Mental Health ConcernsFrom the PDSB Mental Health Resource Team

It can be challenging to talk about mental health concerns - especially to our own children! As parents (like others), we sometimes avoid the conversation because we don’t know how to start, or we worry that by expressing concerns, we will make the situation worse. However, it is important to remember that acknowledging and discussing worries, concerns, or changes in behaviour openly and honestly with our children is more likely to open up lines of communication rather than worsen the situation.

Here are some tips to consider if you want to talk to your child about mental health concerns:

To begin the conversation, find a quiet time when you are unlikely to be interrupted. Reassure your child that they can be open and honest, without you getting angry (even

if you become scared or worried by the information they disclose). Describe the changes that you have noticed in your child’s mood, behaviour, or

reactions. For example, “I have noticed that you are crying more often since school started” or “I have noticed that you seem more frustrated recently.”

Try to label or “name” your child’s emotions and thoughts. For example, “I wonder if you’re feeling sad about losing your friendship with Sam” or “I wonder if you are thinking that this cannot be fixed.”

Allow your child time to reflect and respond. Silence is okay. Be persistent. If your child responds with “nothing is wrong...leave me alone,” reassure

your child that you are there for them. Give your child some time and revisit the conversation again.

If your child tells you anything that makes you increasingly concerned, reassure them that you are glad they told you, offer to help them find the right professional to talk to, and reinforce that you will be there for them throughout the journey.

Remember, for many children and youth, everyday loving support from caring adults will be enough to help them thrive.

However, some children and youth require additional help. Ask your child’s teacher or Principal about the mental health supports and services offered within schools. There are also community resources that provide mental health support to children, youth, and families.

To access child and youth mental health services in the Region of Peel, visit wheretostart.ca.

The Mental Health Resource Team has also created a Peel Youth Mental Health Resources handout that you can access here: bit.ly/PeelYouthResources.

Consider the Kids’ Help Phone Resources Around Me service (web: kidshelpphone.ca). Make an appointment with your family doctor or nurse practitioner to ask about

additional supports.For updates and to follow along with the work of the PDSB Mental Health Resource Team, find them on Twitter @MHRTPeel.