85 Burnt Elm Drive, Brampton On, L7A 1T8 Phone 905-495-9368 Fax 905-495-9371

Principal—Mrs. W. Vokey Vice-Principal-Mrs. T. Ajrawat Vice-Principal-Ms. B. Ritchie

Office Manager-Mrs. S. Corbett Superintendent-Mr. Mark Haarmann Trustee-Mrs. S. Nurse

DECEMBER 2012 EDITION

The Burnt Elm Banner

A Message from the Principal—

November Highlights

During November, we had the opportunity to have two presenta-

tions on anti-bullying. Our Gr. 1-5 students participated in the

Power of One presentation which highlighted the difference each

of us can make, “the power of one”, to promote respect and car-

ing. Our Kindergarten students enjoyed an interactive story

time with “Coco”, a local story teller. Student participants

dressed in costume to help tell the story of a “grumpy prince”

who learned the value of friendship and being kind to others.

The presentations were well received and continue to help pro-

mote our school‟s work in fostering a positive climate.

In December, we look forward to our upcoming seasonal concerts

— Gr. 2 on December 14 at 1:30 and Gr. 5 on December 19 at

1:30. We hope you are able to join us.

Thank you for your donations to our holiday food drive. Items

donated will be appreciated by families in need in the local area.

From all of us at Burnt Elm, we wish you and your families a

happy holiday and all the best in 2013!

Reading Tip:

Your child can use various tactics to fig-

ure out a word he or she doesn‟t know:

Sound out the word

Look at the picture

Reread the words before and after diffi-

cult words

Divide the words into smaller parts

Skip over the word for the moment and

read on further

Talk about what he/she has read so far to

check for understanding

Inserts:

Student Transportation of Peel Region

Register for French Immersion, extended French by

Jan. 25

Closing schools because of bad weather

Tips for ensuring your child‟s safe arrival to and from

school

Help your family stay warm this winter

Make the most of the winter break

Celebrating Faith and Culture

Welcome to the home of Benny the

Bengal!

Responsibility

Set goals, stay focused and stick with the task until completed.

Do your share of the work.

Recognize and learn from your mistakes.

Follow through with your commitments.

Demonstrate initiative and perseverance in overcoming difficulties.

Our Burnt Elm students who received certificates for their “Responsibility” behavior demonstrated during the month of No-

vember are:

Gr.1– Yuvan K., Eric B., Kabilash J., Rajdeep N., Jaden S. , Medina M., Vidhi S., Karan M., Avena S., Zohal F.

Gr.2– Mathusha S., Dilem C., Joshua N., Reva J., Adassah A., Victoria H., Breena B., Aryan T., Ramneet R.

Gr.3– Shajeevan N., Abilash S., Harleen K., Sharon J., Shurethi R., Hailey G., Oskar C., Biftu D., Tiffany D., Dylan G., Saumya B., Ikra

M., Khia K., Summer L.

Gr.4– Lucas F., Manjot C., Simran K., Elia C., Manav S., Kiana C., Jaleed A., Dennis M., Shamar E.

Gr.5– Rashini A., Mya S., Newton D., Harveen B., Nivedna M., Ty K., Aiyesha S., Chiraag S., Sean A. , Shayne D.

Encourage your child to report bullying

incidents to you.

Validate your child's feelings by letting

him/her know that it is normal to feel hurt,

sad, scared, angry, etc.

Let your child know that s/he has made the

right choice by reporting the incident(s) to

you and assure your child that s/he is not to

blame.

Help your child be specific in describing

bullying incidents: who, what, where,

when. (Look for patterns or evidence of re-

peated bullying behaviors.)

Kindergarten registration at Peel District School Board

schools will take place on each of the following dates:

Monday, Feb. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Milk Bag Update

As of Tuesday, December 3, Burnt Elm has collected 1718 milk bags. This

is enough to help make 6 mats for Haiti.

We ask that you remember to continue to collect the bags over the holi-

days and send them in to the school when we return in January.

Thank you for all your support.

Community Bulletin Board

In our front foyer, we have a

community bulletin board. If

you would like to add a notice

to this board, please check with

the office first. Please know

that items posted are not en-

dorsed or recommended provid-

ers by the school.

What's Happening At Burnt Elm?

Happy Holidays from the ESL Team

Let Us Introduce Ourselves!

Season’s greetings from the ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching team. Burnt Elm’s ESL teachers are Mrs. Boparai, who

works with students in grades 1, and Ms. Folorunsho, who works with students in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5. ESL support is provided to

enable English language learners to fully access the grade level curriculum. The ESL teacher works with students in their classroom, or

in a small group setting, on the activity that they are working on in class, to assist with the development of English language skills.

Suggestions on how to help your child at home:

Studies have shown that students perform better in school if their parents/guardians are involved in their education. Parents/guardians

can help to support their children in school, even if their first language is not English.

To support English language learners, parents/.guardians are strongly encouraged to:

Read to your child, in your home language and/or English, on a regular basis;

Become familiar with the curriculum and what your child is learning at school;

Talk to your child about what is happening at school;

Attend parent-teacher interviews;

Speak with your child’s teacher about his/her progress or if you have any questions about what he/she is learning at school;

Participate in parent workshops and other community events which help you learn about the Ontario school system;

Encourage your child to develop and continue to use your home language.

Resources for Parents and Guardians

The following Ontario Ministry of Education website, offers many ways to help your child at home, and can be viewed in a variety of

languages:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc123/eng/tips/

On this website, you will find a variety of tips on the following topics:

Making Reading fun

10 tips to help your child with Reading

10 tips to help your child with Writing

10 tips to help your child with Math

10 tips to help your child with homework

10 tips to help boys with Reading

10 tips to help you communicate with the teacher

Helping Your Child do Mathematics – A Guide for Parents

Helping Your Child with Reading and Writing – A Guide for Parents

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a safe and happy holiday season, from the ESL Teaching Team.

Ms. Folorunsho and Mrs. Boparai

Burnt Elm’s Students’ Work Holiday Celebrations

There are many different holiday celebrations all over the world.

Every culture has its own special traditions and celebrations.

Please enjoy the short passages written by some of our ELL students to share their favourite holiday celebration!

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Eshan in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi my name is Eshan and my family and I celebrate Diwali.

Something special that we do is have a fireworks display. We

always wear a suit or kurta. We always have a lot of people

coming to our house. The best thing is that we get to play a lot

of games. Diwali is my favourite celebration!

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Mahreen in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi name is Mahreen I am going to tell you about my favourite holi-

day celebration . My favourite holiday celebration is Eid. Some-

thing special that my family and I do is wear new fancy clothes

and put henna on our hands. Before we celebrate Eid, we look at

the moon. We even get some money!

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Azlan in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

My name is Azlan and my favourite celebration is Halloween. I

like Halloween because I get lots of treats. I like to wear cos-

tumes. This year I dressed up as Iron Man. We also have a spe-

cial family dinner on Halloween. This year I got lots of candy

and I shared it with my brothers and sisters. Halloween is so

much fun!

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Harman from Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

My name is Harman and my holiday celebration is Diwali. Some-

times we make designs on the ground. We put candles on the de-

signs. We light the candles and we pray. We deliver sweets like

mithai to friends and family. In the night, we light fireworks. We

also go to the Gurudwara which is our temple. I really like Diwali!

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Brandon from Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

My name is Brandon and my holiday celebration is Christmas.

We have a Christmas party every year. All of our family and

relatives that live in Canada come to our house. We give pre-

sents and this is always fun. We have a beautiful Christmas

tree where all the presents are kept. We listen to Christmas

music. For dinner, we have ham, turkey, steak, potato wedges,

and salad. Christmas is my favourite time of the year.

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Maryam from Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

My name is Maryam and my holiday celebration is Eid. Early in

the morning, my dad will go to the mosque to pray. For Eid, we

wear special clothes and we have a nice dinner. We will also have a

party and play games. My mom and dad give my brothers, sister

and I money as a gift. Eid is a really fun holiday for me and my

family!

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Luckshana from Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

My name is Luckshana and my holiday celebration is Diwali.

We eat sweets. We go to the temple. I like to go to the temple

because we pray. We also wear fancy dresses. Diwali is really

fun!

My Holiday Celebration

Written by Kumar from Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

My holiday celebration is Diwali. We go to the temple and pray.

After we are done, we set off fireworks for two nights. On lthe ast

day of Diwali, everyone dances Indian folk dances called Garba and

Dandiya. We eat sweets and wear Indian clothing called lehenga.

I love Diwali because my whole family has a day off from

work and school.

The Students of Grade 3 have been working on writing

paragraphs. Here are a few pieces of writing from Mrs.

Hoogan’s classroom.

Rain

By Sahib

I think that rain is important. I

love to jump in the puddles and

like to look at the rainbows that

are colourful. Rain helps the na-

ture as it is important for the

trees, flowers and grass to grow.

Rain could make your clothes

wet so you should always have

an umbrella, rain boots and a

rain coat. Rain could sometimes

cause thunder and lightning.

The rain comes from the clouds.

First the water evaporates and

then clouds are formed. Then

the rain falls down to the ground.

Rain is good for the world.

Rain

By Shaelyn

Rain is important. It is important

because all the plants and animals

need the water. Rain is also fun to

play in because there are puddles so

kids can splash in them. Sometimes

when there is rain there is thunder

and lightning. I don‟t really like

thunder and lightning. Lightning is

fun to watch but very dangerous.

The thunder is fun to hear but usu-

ally when it thunders there‟s light-

ning. In the rain dirt turns into mud

and mud is really sticky. No kids

parents want their children to be

covered in mud; especially before

school. Rain is sometimes fun and

sometimes not. Rain is cool. Rain is

awesome.

A Rainy Day

By Teetee

I like rainy days because that means we are going to have indoor recess. If we have an

indoor recess then the girls will play the „Girl Club‟. Even if we have to go outside next

recess everyone will be able to splash in the puddles. But if it still rains in the next re-

cess the „Girl Club‟ will continue to make the new calendar. I will do arts and crafts or go

on the computer. Sometimes I do not like when it rains or when it is indoor recess be-

cause I do not get to play with my Grade four friends and my best friend Anne. I also like

it when it is raining because I can read „Magic Tree House‟ books. What I am actually try-

ing to say is that rainy days are sometimes fun and sometimes not fun.

STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR)

BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER

2012 – 2013 SCHOOL YEAR

During the winter months inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation and

regular school operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close

schools is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be announced on the following radio

and television stations:

VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9 CHUM AM1050 CFTR AM680

CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1

CFRB AM1010 EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860

FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107

CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CITYPULSE

GLOBAL NEWS CTV

We will be communicating one of four standard messages to the radio stations. The four an-

nouncements and their effect on the transportation system are as follows: (Please note that

the highlighted text only will be communicated by the radio stations).

1. “DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES SERVING

ST. ANDREW, ST. BENEDICT AND ST. PETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND

R.F. HALL SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE CANCELLED FOR TODAY.”

2. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES AND THE

PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES IN THE TOWN OF CALEDON AND THE

COUNTY OF DUFFERIN ARE CANCELLED”. This means that all runs listed under an-

nouncement #l PLUS the following are cancelled.

All schools in the Town of Caledon and all school runs that begin in the Town of Caledon.

Individual schools will be notified if this cancellation affects their school.

3. “THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL

DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSES ARE CANCELLED.” This means that:

ALL Transportation services provided by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and The Peel

District School Board, including buses, vans and taxis have been cancelled for the entire day.

4. “THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES OF BOTH THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT

SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ARE CLOSED.” This means that:

ALL Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board ad Peel District School Board schools and offices are

closed to all students and staff.

Note: For Secondary School students riding Public Transit, cancellation of service will be communicated

by the respective transit property over the radio. Please be advised that Public Transit rarely cancels and that

the level of service on days with inclement weather is unpredictable.

Register for French immersion, extended French by Jan. 25

Are you thinking of registering your child for French immersion (FI) or extended French (EF)? Attend an information session to

learn more about the programs.

If you were not able to attend the parent night in the fall about the programs, you are invited to an information session at the HJA

Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario St. (at Matheson Blvd.) in Mississauga:

French immersion - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013

Extended French - 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013

Registration

If your child will start grade 1 or grade 7 in September 2013, the registration deadline for FI and EF is 4 p.m. on Friday,

Jan. 25, 2013.

Effective September 2013, a grade 1 FI enrolment cap will be in place. This means that a specific number of spots are available for

students entering grade 1 FI. There is no enrolment cap for EF. All students who register for EF before the registration deadline will

be guaranteed a spot.

Lottery system – grade 1 FI only

A lottery system will be used to identify students gaining entrance into the grade 1 FI program. Spots are not assigned on a first

come, first served basis.

All students who make the registration deadline will be assigned a rank using a computerized random selection process. Students

who currently (2012-13) have siblings in the elementary FI program (grades 1 to 7) will not be included in the lottery. In order to be

automatically accepted into the grade 1 FI program, however, these students must register by the deadline.

It’s important to note that the grandparenting of siblings applies only to families who currently (2012-13) have children in the ele-

mentary FI program (grades 1 to 7). This means that younger siblings of students who are accepted into grade 1 FI for the 2013-14

school year and who don’t currently have siblings in the FI program (i.e. in grades 1 to 7 as of Sept. 2012) will participate in the

lottery system in future years.

Waitlist

Once students have been assigned to all available spots, remaining students will be placed, again in rank order, on the school's wait-

list.

Where to register

Register directly at the French immersion school your child will attend. Check the Peel board website at www.peelschools.org/

parents/programs/french or call the board’s Planning department at 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146 ext. 2212 to find out what FI

school your child will attend.

If parents have not received written confirmation of their child's spot in the FI program or placement on the waitlist by the end of

February, they should contact the school.

How to get more information

Visit the Peel board website—www.peelschools.org/parents/programs/French.

Call the Peel board at 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146.

Visit the Canadian Parents for French website—www.cpfont.on.ca.

Closing schools because of bad weather

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of bad weather.

The board decides by 6:30 a.m. whether to cancel buses or close schools. To find out if busing is cancelled or schools closed, visit

www.peelschools.org or call 905-890-1010 or

1-800-668-1146. You will receive one of the following messages:

Peel District School Board buses are cancelled. Schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Buses will remain can-

celled all day. All activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, daycare and other activities in schools will

operate as usual.

All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed. Due to weather conditions, schools and board offices are closed to

students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including daycare, night school and permits.

All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. Due to weather conditions, 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. Due to weather conditions, all activities in schools and

board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

Tips for ensuring your child's safe arrival to and from school

Take your child to the bus stop and meet them there after school.

Help your child set up a buddy system. Children should walk in groups of at least two.

Pre-arrange a contact person your child knows who can pick him or her up in the event of an emergency.

Make sure the school has a list of people your child can be released to. This also applies to day camp, swimming lessons, and other

activities.

Avoid placing your child’s name in a clearly visible location on their clothes, lunch box and other belongings because it advertises

who they are. A stranger may read their name and call out to them, fooling your child into believing this person knows them.

Help your family stay warm this winter

Canada Safety Council recommends the following tips for staying comfortable and preventing hypothermia when working or playing out-

doors:

Wear a warm hat—most body heat is lost through the head. Children should keep an extra hat at school.

Wear layered clothing. Layers allow warm air to stay trapped around the body.

Protect your feet and hands. Wear loose waterproof boots. If the boots have liners, carry an extra pair to replace damp ones

or take an extra pair of socks. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Carry an extra pair of mittens to school, on outings, etc.

Prevent dehydration and exhaustion, which can lead to hypothermia. Drink plenty of fluids and pace yourself when doing

vigorous activities.

Stay fit by exercising and eating well—people who are fit are less susceptible to hypothermia.

If you stay indoors, avoid moving from a hot environment to a cold one. Excessive sweating caused from an extreme change

in temperature increases the risk of developing hypothermia.

Eat high-energy food such as nuts and raisins.

If you are travelling (on the road or in the wilderness) carry emergency supplies.

Make the most of the winter break

Be active

If there's snow, go tobogganing, build a snow fort, cross-country ski or snow shoe.

Go skating at a local arena or outdoor rink.

Take a walk around your neighbourhood to enjoy the holiday decorations.

Go swimming or play basketball at a local community centre.

Get organized

As holiday greeting cards arrive, ask your child to record the names and addresses of the senders.

String cards together to display above doors, windows in your home.

Ask your child to organize photographs in an album by date or activity. Save newspaper or magazine photographs of favourite athletes or role models to create a scrap-

book.

Suggest your child swap paperbacks, comics or magazines with family and friends.

Develop a sense of responsibility

Involve your child with holiday decorating and clean-up.

Ask your child to take charge of family recycling (get containers, wash the jars, stack the papers, etc.)

Have your child plan all aspects of a party. Your child can help decide on the guests, phone or send invitations, plan the food, get the house ready, greet and introduce the

guests and clean up.

Bolster core learning skills

Recommend that your child keep a diary or journal of the family's activities.

Make time every day to read as a family or on your own—even 10 or 15 minutes is fine.

Take your child to the local library.

Have your child follow a favourite newspaper comic strip all week.

Encourage your child to write holiday greetings or thank-you cards to cousins, grandparents and friends.

Review cash register receipts. Ask your child to check them for accuracy when you’re unloading groceries.

Have a family discussion about goals for 2012. Talk to your child about ways he or she can achieve them.Teach citizenship

Check the newspaper for volunteer opportunities. For example, you and your child could help at a food bank, visit an elderly person living alone or volunteer at a commu-

nity event.

Visit the animal shelter, the fire station or a hospital to show your child what happens at these places.

Understand history & explore different cultures

If possible, collect photographs of grandparents and great-grandparents. Have your child write their names and birth dates on the back of the photos. Discuss the family's

history.

Talk about the meaning of holidays. Ask your child to research the holidays celebrated by different cultures in your community. If friends are celebrating these holidays,

ask them to tell you about their traditions.

Get close to nature

Give your child the responsibility of watering the plants.

Read the daily newspaper’s weather map. Let your child figure out what the weather is where friends and relatives live.

Take a walk in the snow and watch for animal tracks. Identify what animal made the tracks.

Find more Parent Tip Sheets at www.peelschools.org.

Celebrating Faith and Culture

December 2012

December

December 2

December 8

Sunset of December 8 to 16

Sunset of December 11 to 30

December 13

Eve of December 20 to 21

December 21

December 23

December 25

December 26

December 26

December 26 to January 1

December

December

December

December

Luut'aa

First Sunday of Advent

Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)

Chanukah

the month of Masa'il

Birthday of Imam Agakhan

Yule

Tohji-taisai

Maun Agiyaras or Muanajiyaras

Christmas

Boxing Day

Zarathosht-no-Diso

Kwanza

Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday

Ghambar Maidyarem

the month of Sharaf

Aboriginal Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Judaism

Baha’I

Islam

Wicca

Shinto

Jainism

Christianity and Canada

Christianity and Canada

Zoroastrianism

African Canadian communities

Buddhism

Zoroastrianism

Baha’i

Wishing everyone happy

holidays and see you all on

Monday, January 7th, 2013.