Important Safety Reminders
Yard Supervision
Yard Supervision for Grades JK to 6 begins at 8:35 AM and ends at 3:45 PM. Afternoon Kindergarten supervision begins at 12:45 PM. Parents are responsible for their children’s safety and conduct in the yard before and after these times.
Visitor Sign-In Book
Visitors are requested to sign in at the main office and wear a ‘visitor sticker’. This is a safety measure to ensure that visiting adults are recognized and encouraged to feel welcome in our school. Thank You!
Visitors are requested to sign in at the main office and wear a ‘visitor sticker’. This is a safety measure to ensure that visiting adults are recognized and encouraged to feel welcome in our school. Thank You!
Kiss N' Ride
Do not use the Avenue Road driveway as this is the school bus pick up and drop off area for our students.
Please pick up and drop of your children at the Kiss N’ Ride designated area on Poplar Plains.
Do not use the Avenue Road driveway as this is the school bus pick up and drop off area for our students.
Please pick up and drop of your children at the Kiss N’ Ride designated area on Poplar Plains.
Community Issue
Our neighbours have recently been concerned about cars blocking their driveways during drop off and pickup times. Please ensure that you are not parking in front of anyone's driveway, as they need to be able to get in and out of their own driveway safely and promptly.
There is one-hour parking on Balmoral in the event that you have to come into the school. We do everything we can to cooperate with our neighbours and would appreciate this is taken into consideration.
Safe Arrival Program
Our neighbours have recently been concerned about cars blocking their driveways during drop off and pickup times. Please ensure that you are not parking in front of anyone's driveway, as they need to be able to get in and out of their own driveway safely and promptly.
There is one-hour parking on Balmoral in the event that you have to come into the school. We do everything we can to cooperate with our neighbours and would appreciate this is taken into consideration.
Safe Arrival Program
The Safe Arrival program is used by parents/guardians and schools to account for any student’s unexplained failure to arrive at school. Please call the school safe arrival number 416-393-1557 before 8:55 AM or 12:30 PM (for an afternoon absence) if your child will not be attending school or plans to be late. This line is available 24 hours a day with voice mail. If your child is absent and we have not heard from you, we will make every effort to contact you using the information provided on the Emergency Form. The name and telephone number of an emergency contact is absolutely essential.
Principal’s Message from the Office of G. Christakis & S. Litner
Happy New Year!
I would like to wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year! Sincere thanks to all for the warm wishes, cards and gifts.
While the holiday weather was unusually mild, the cold weather is upon us, as is the snow. Parents are asked to kindly remind and ensure their children are dressed for the colder weather. Boots, coats, scarves and mitts should be worn to keep warm outside. Please check our Lost and Found area in case some of these items do not make it home at the end of the day.
Our Character Trait for the month of January is TEAMWORK. Students who exemplified December’s Character Trait of Kindness and Caring received Certificates at our monthly Character Education Assembly earlier this month. We encourage our Brown students to be the best that they can be at all times by caring, sharing, being empathetic, charitable, kind and most importantly, respectful and responsible. We would like all of our students to receive a certificate by the end of the year.
We began the New Year at Brown with a presentation called “Cinderfella”, a story about kindness, hard work and perseverance. The students enjoyed this one man show filled with humour and fun for all. We also had Fit 2 Dance workshops organized by our teacher, Holly Bondy. Our staff and students participated in 45 minute workshops and danced up a storm in our gym. Even I busted a few moves with the Grade 3’s and 4’s.
Our teachers are preparing for the First Term Report Cards that will be sent out between February 13-15. Parent Teacher Interviews will be scheduled on February 16 from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm and February 17 from 9:00 am -12:30 pm. Teachers will be notifying you regarding these interviews shortly.
French Immersion Parent Information Evening: January 26, 7:00 PM at Brown P.S.
For parents interested in enrolling their child for Early Immersion for September 2012
Our annual French Immersion Parent Information Night will be held on Thursday, January 26 at 7PM in our library. This meeting presents information about our French Immersion program to parents interested in enrolling their child for September 2012. An information package will go out shortly to parents who have children currently in JK. The Early Immersion program begins in Senior Kindergarten.
Family Literacy Day: Friday, January 27
Schools all across Canada will be celebrating Family Literacy Day on Friday, January 27th. Since January 27 is a PA Day, teachers at Brown will plan literacy activities on another day this week.
Classes will be involved in a variety of activities, some of which include sharing personally written stories, making a favourite recipe, having a joke telling contest, reading buddies, and many more. Check with your child's teacher to see what is planned and if there is a specific time for classroom visits.
Encourage family literacy in your home and community. Here are some great tips to start you on the road to reading:
Heads Up! Kindergarten Registration Days: February 7, 8, 9
Brown Public School will be holding their Kindergarten Registration Days on Tuesday, February 7, Wednesday, February 8 and Thursday, February 9. Our office staff will be happy to assist parents wishing to register their children on these days. Please call our school if we can be of any assistance prior to registration.
We will have a Kindergarten Tour on Tuesday, January 24 at 1:00pm for parents interested in visiting our Kindergarten classrooms.
Principal’s Message from the Office of G. Christakis & S. Litner
Happy New Year!
I would like to wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year! Sincere thanks to all for the warm wishes, cards and gifts.
While the holiday weather was unusually mild, the cold weather is upon us, as is the snow. Parents are asked to kindly remind and ensure their children are dressed for the colder weather. Boots, coats, scarves and mitts should be worn to keep warm outside. Please check our Lost and Found area in case some of these items do not make it home at the end of the day.
Our Character Trait for the month of January is TEAMWORK. Students who exemplified December’s Character Trait of Kindness and Caring received Certificates at our monthly Character Education Assembly earlier this month. We encourage our Brown students to be the best that they can be at all times by caring, sharing, being empathetic, charitable, kind and most importantly, respectful and responsible. We would like all of our students to receive a certificate by the end of the year.
We began the New Year at Brown with a presentation called “Cinderfella”, a story about kindness, hard work and perseverance. The students enjoyed this one man show filled with humour and fun for all. We also had Fit 2 Dance workshops organized by our teacher, Holly Bondy. Our staff and students participated in 45 minute workshops and danced up a storm in our gym. Even I busted a few moves with the Grade 3’s and 4’s.
Our teachers are preparing for the First Term Report Cards that will be sent out between February 13-15. Parent Teacher Interviews will be scheduled on February 16 from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm and February 17 from 9:00 am -12:30 pm. Teachers will be notifying you regarding these interviews shortly.
French Immersion Parent Information Evening: January 26, 7:00 PM at Brown P.S.
For parents interested in enrolling their child for Early Immersion for September 2012Our annual French Immersion Parent Information Night will be held on Thursday, January 26 at 7PM in our library. This meeting presents information about our French Immersion program to parents interested in enrolling their child for September 2012. An information package will go out shortly to parents who have children currently in JK. The Early Immersion program begins in Senior Kindergarten.
Family Literacy Day: Friday, January 27
Schools all across Canada will be celebrating Family Literacy Day on Friday, January 27th. Since January 27 is a PA Day, teachers at Brown will plan literacy activities on another day this week.
Classes will be involved in a variety of activities, some of which include sharing personally written stories, making a favourite recipe, having a joke telling contest, reading buddies, and many more. Check with your child's teacher to see what is planned and if there is a specific time for classroom visits.
For nation-wide Family Literacy Day activities, such as contests, recipes and promotions, please go to www.abc-canada.org.
Family Literacy Tips from A to Z
Family Literacy Tips from A to Z
Encourage family literacy in your home and community. Here are some great tips to start you on the road to reading:
- Ask your child questions about the story you're reading to ensure comprehension.
- Book family time to read with your children every day.
- Create a special reading place in your home, with your child's favourite books within reach.
- Donate funds to the literacy cause!
- Encourage children to read words on TV, street signs, mugs and T-shirts.
- Find new stories to read with your children every week. Vary their length and subject matter.
- Give your time to read aloud to a child.
- Have a child read a book to you.
- International Literacy Day is held on September 8 every year. Celebrate the day by picking up a book and reading to a child.
- January 27 is Family Literacy Day! Visit www.abc-canada.org for a complete listing of Family Literacy Day events across Canada.
- Keep teens reading. Give them books, newspaper articles and magazines about things that interest them - music, movies, TV and computers.
- Let children count out the change when making a purchase. Reinforce the importance of math in everyday life!
- Make every day a learning day. Ask your children to make a shopping list, read recipes together or help them make a calendar of their weekly activities.
- Newborns benefit from reading too!
- Organize a children's book club with friends in your neighbourhood.
- Pick one night a week to make a regular visit to the library.
- Quiet, cozy reading spaces are good places for your child to read independently.
- Remember that children learn by example - if you recognize the importance of reading, your children will too!
- Start early! It's never too early to read to your children.
- Treat a child to a story a day.
- Use reading time to create a special bond with a child.
- Volunteer your time. Family literacy groups in your community could use your help with tutoring adults, reading to children and helping out with administrative tasks.
- Write a letter.
- X-ercise your mind! Reading ability is like a muscle, if you don't exercise it often, you will not maintain the same level of reading ability as you get older. So - "use it or lose it"!
- You are the key to improving a child's reading ability by placing a high priority on reading in your home.
- Zap off the TV - pick up a book instead!
Heads Up! Kindergarten Registration Days: February 7, 8, 9
Brown Public School will be holding their Kindergarten Registration Days on Tuesday, February 7, Wednesday, February 8 and Thursday, February 9. Our office staff will be happy to assist parents wishing to register their children on these days. Please call our school if we can be of any assistance prior to registration.
We will have a Kindergarten Tour on Tuesday, January 24 at 1:00pm for parents interested in visiting our Kindergarten classrooms.
