April2015 THE ELLWOOD EAGLENOTES AND NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

Andrew GreenhowPrincipal, Ellwood Memorial

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35 Ellwood EastBolton,OntarioL7E 2A7Phone: 905-857-3021Fax: 905-857-7730

Follow us on twitter:@EMPSEagles andLCannonLibrary

PrincipalMr. A. Greenhow

Vice-PrincipalMrs. V. Cunningham

Office ManagerMrs. D. DaCosta

School TrusteeMr. S. Cameron

Superintendent of EducationMrs. J. Uniac

April at Ellwood is a busy month. It is also a muddy month as our field thaws. Please help our custodians keep our school clean by providing both indoor and outdoor footwear. Many activities are scheduled for these next four weeks including scientist visits, Lego workshops, plays and performances…. be sure to have a good look at the April calendar included in this newsletter.

Education Week is a highlight in April across the Peel District. This year’s plan is found below. We look forward to the Caring Kids presentation, Earth Day activities and an Open House, when we can show off some of the amazing learning happening here at Ellwood.

Our Home and School/School Council is active again this month. Last month’s skating event was a huge success. This month, the Council is organizing a Movie Night for our Ellwood Families. Look for information coming home soon. Thank you to these folks for their hard work and dedication. Want to get involved? Join the group the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30 in our new library. See you there!

Please note that there is a PD day coming up in May – mark your calendar for May 11th. School will be closed for students on that day.

In late May and June, staff will begin the process of creating new classes for the next school year. Please watch for information coming home regarding this process in the next newsletter. We will not be accepting requests for particular teachers, but will accept requests for your input in different ways. Once again, please watch for information next month.

To keep up with snippets of Ellwood life, please follow us on Twitter @EMPSEagles and subscribe to our website http://schools.peelschools.org/1463/Pages/default.aspx

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EDUCATION WEEK ACTIVITIES AT ELLWOOD MEMORIAL PSMonday, April 20th Celebrating Kindness classroom activitiesTuesday, April 21st Caring Kids Presentations for all grades

If you are interested visit http://errollee.com/concert-bookings/elementary/Wednesday, April 22nd Earth Day events including ‘Hug the Field’, a symbolic gesture to

reinforce love/respect for the school and environment; yard clean upThursday, April 23rd Open House – Inspiring Greatness Together through Mathematics

Canadian Authors Day – library and classroom activitiesFriday, April 24th Dance-a-Thon – all grades scheduled throughout the day

Peel public schools celebrate Education Week

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

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

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OPEN HOUSE – Thursday amYou are invited to join your child/children in their classrooms 9:10 – 10:10Coffee/cookies in the Library 8:45 – 9:10

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HOME & SCHOOL ASSOCIATION and SCHOOL COUNCIL

PIZZA correction: Please correct your pizza schedule: the April dates are 10, 17 and 24 (no pizza on the 23 rd of April) May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 June 5, 12, 19

April 17th Big Hero 6 comes to Ellwood for the 3rd Annual Family Movie night! A flyer will come home soon with details. We look forward to seeing you there!

Next Meeting:  Tuesday,  April 28th at 6.30pm in the library. 

Reminder from the Office: Please call before 9:00am if your child is going to be absent or late. Dial 905-857-3021 and Press 1 for the attendance line.

Library Corner

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TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE – You are invited to drop by our new library-in-progress to see displays of how technology is being used in the classrooms at each grade level.

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Students, staff and visitors have been thoroughly enjoying the new library! The comfy tub chairs for around the fireplace have arrived and we thank the Home and School for providing the funds to create this area. The chairs are used daily by students looking for a comfortable and quiet place to read.

The students are continuing to participate in the Forest of Reading. The K-3 students are finishing the final Blue Spruce nominated books and will be invited to the library to vote for their favourite one. The Grade 4-5 students in the Silver Birch Reading Club continue to meet daily. Those students who complete at least 5 books will be attending the Forest of Reading celebration at the Powerade Centre in May.

Mrs. Cannon will be attending the Spring Vendor Display to purchase many new books for the library on April 9th.

Tech Talk

We have just placed a substantial order for new technology for the school. With

the computer budget we have purchased 12 laptops and a laptop cart to be shared between classes. With the support of the Home and School we have added 10 new iPads and travel tubs and Apple TV’s for the classrooms.

In order to share some of the work the students have been doing with technology we will be inviting parents into the Library during the Education Week Open House. Not only will parents be able to see the new library, they will be able to walk through different stations where some students will be sharing the Apps they have been using. Please be sure to stop in.

A safety reminder – Morning drop off is 8:35am – 8:50am. Staff supervision begins at 8:35am in both play areas and continues until 8:50am. Students should not be in

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the school yard unattended before 8:35am.Between 8:35am and 8:50am students should be dropped off in the appropriate school yard to line up with their class.

Please be aware that the Kiss N Ride is a fire zone (emergency transportation route) and parked cars will be ticketed if by-law officers are present. The front of the school is also a fire route.

Eagle of the MonthWe continue to celebrate the demonstration of good character at our monthly Eagle of the Month assemblies. Various classes highlight a Peel Character trait at each assembly. In April, we will learn about ‘RESPECT’. What does it look like in school, at home and in the community? What does it sound like? What does it feel like? These are good discussions topics for both classroom and family talks. The 6 Peel Character Traits highlighted in all Peel schools include:

Responsibility Respect Inclusiveness Caring Cooperation Honesty

The March recipients were:Kindergarten: Cristina, Cameron, Eva, Jonathan, Maria, Landon, Matteo, Alex, Ethan Grade One: Xavier, Samantha, Gemma, Kaden,

Dario, Jaden, Lucas, XavierGrade Four: Jordan, Marcus, Keely, Rylan

Grade Two: Charlotte, Alex, Chloe, Jaylin, Kingston

Grade Five: Jacob, Nicole, Jacob, Daniel, Rebecca, Lucas

Grade Three: Jordan, Andrew, Alex, Jalal French Katie, Nayla

Music Rebecca, Anna Lisa, Rosemary, Max Christian

See details on attached flyer and at http://caledon.library.on.ca/Contest  Closes ~ Thursday, April 30, 2015

Earth Week – April 20 to 24, 20155

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Earth Week encompasses the international celebration of Earth Day on April 22. This is the most celebrated environmental event worldwide. Initiated in 1970, this event has been considered the birth of the environmental movement.

Each year, more than 6 million Canadians join 500 million people in over 180 countries in staging events and projects to address local environmental issues. In Canada, Earth Day has grown into Earth Week and even Earth Month to accommodate the profusion of events and projects. Here are some ways that you can celebrate earth week with your family:

create a backyard or schoolyard habitat plant a garden or tree start a recycling program at home organize a carpooling campaign in your neighbourhood to reduce air pollution pick up trash in your neighbourhood read a book about an endangered species make a visit to your local zoo, aquarium or museum visit a local park, wildlife area or farm to provide a fun opportunity to learn about

the environment and life______________________________________________________________________________

Tentative 2015-16 School Year Calendar now available

The Peel board's 2015-16 school year calendar (pending Ministry approval) is now available online at http://peelschools.org/calendar/schoolyear. Please note that these are tentative dates that will be approved by the Ministry of Education in late spring.

Keeping children safe in and around storm sewers, waterways

Rising and fast moving water in lakes, ponds and creeks is increasingly likely during spring. Children playing in and around storm sewers and watercourses, entering storm sewers through the outfalls, and entering storm sewers through access covers is dangerous. The following information will help keep children safe:

water flows in storm sewers and watercourses are unpredictable and may change quickly toxic gases may be present in and around storm sewers and watercourses access is restricted, making rescue attempts are difficult tragic falls could take place

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Please review this information with your children and let them know how dangerous storms sewers and waterways are.

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NOTES AND NEWS FROM THE PEEL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

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Help us to encourage and enhance parent involvement in Peel Apply for a position on the board's Parent Involvement Committee

The Peel board’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) meets regularly throughout the school year to review the board’s plans for parent involvement as they relate to parent, family and community engagement, and to make suggestions to schools, councils and the board regarding additional parent outreach.

As mandated by the ministry, the purpose of Peel board's PIC is to: support, encourage, and enhance meaningful parental involvement within schools and

across the district, including, outreach to parents who find involvement more challenging work collaboratively with the school board to support student success seek out the advice and ideas of school councils, and other parents and partners as they

plan and implement strategies to involve more parents at the regional level develop strategies for enhancing parental engagement and outreach

Parent application packages will be made available on April 8 at www.peelschools.org/PIC. Forms must be returned by April 24, 2015.

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.

Stay up-to-date! For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.

April is Daffodil month - for more information visit www.cancer.ca/daffodil

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Parent resources help you support your child’s learning

At the Peel District School 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.

In October 2014, the Peel board sought input from families to help guide the development of resources that help parents and caregivers support their children’s learning. The result is a new Help Your Child online resource centre on the Peel board’s website with the topics families said were important to them.

Visit www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild to explore all resources available to parents.

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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.

Kindergarten registration continues at Peel board Parents can just drop in anytime 8am-4pm – please spread the word if you know of neighbours who have not yet enrolled.

Children born in 2011 can start kindergarten in September 2015. Parents can contact their local Peel District School Board school to make an appointment to register their child. To find out which school their child will attend, parents can call 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146 ext. 2212 or visit www.peelschools.org and click on ‘Find Your School’. School contact information is available on the Peel board website at www.peelschools.org/schools/all.

Parents should bring the following to registration:

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Proof of child's age Canadian birth certificate Canadian passport citizenship card/certificate Permanent Resident Card confirmation of permanent residence work permit refugee permit

Proof of address Ontario driver's license utility bill bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution) credit card statement federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents) purchase agreement

Proof of custody Proof of immunization

It is important for parents to know that required immunization information forms must be completed before children are allowed to attend class. Parents should contact Peel Health at Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 (Caledon residents can call toll-free at 905-584-2216):

for information about the immunization schedule in Ontario to verify that your child's record is up-to-date to obtain exemption forms if your child has not been immunized for medical reasons or

because of conflict of religion or conscience for information about how to have your child immunized if you do not have an Ontario

health card and can't afford a doctor's fee for immunization

For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/kindergarten.

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Worth repeating: Traffic safety in our communitySafety 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.

Respect traffic signs and road markers around the school. Park with care in designated parking spots

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. Pedestrians should use sidewalks and pathways whenever possible.

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, nor cross a parking lot.

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.

Worth Repeating…..Message from STOPR:If you send your child to the following three daycare centres for before and after-school care, please read: Notice re: bussing to daycare centres from Tom Howe, Manager, STOPR

STOPR will no longer be providing transportation to a child care centre outside of the school boundary effective June 2015. This will affect the following three centres:

Bolton YMCA Child Care12295 Highway 50

Creative Children’s Montessori 16 Parr Blvd

Kinder Korner Preschool 12295 Highway 50

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http://www.town.caledon.on.ca/en/panam/panam.asp?_mid_=21570

Free Workshop for Parents: ‘Coping with Stress – The Good, The Bad,

and How to Avoid the Ugly’This 2-session workshop focuses on what stress is,

the impact of stress on the body and functioning, signs of stress and early identification, common stressors,

healthy verses unhealthy coping, and stress-reducing strategies for parents and their children/teens

April 20 & 27, 2015(2 consecutive Mondays)

6:30 – 8:30 pmMacville Public School

7280 King Street, Caledon

Parenting Groups are offered free of charge to parents/caregivers of PDSB students

Child care and transportation assistance can be provided, as needed *Pre-registration required*

Light refreshments are provided Groups are facilitated by Mental Health Professionals from AYSP

For more information and to pre-register for this workshop, contact Teanna Brun, Associated Youth Services of Peel’s Group Services Coordinator at (905) 890-5222, ext. 1243 or at tbrun@aysp.ca

Brought to you in partnership by:

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