Report Cards/Parent-Teacher Conferences: An update
As the students move into the final term, they take the time to reflect on their accomplishments, successes and areas for improvement. Over the last couple of weeks, teachers have guided students to review their term one goals and provide them with opportunities to reflect and plan ahead. On February 12th your child’s term one report card was sent home. There should not be any surprises on the report card. In reviewing the ongoing assessment throughout the first term and your child’s performance on various cumulative tasks, you should be well in the know as to how your child is doing at school. The report card is a formal way of communicating the information.
"Grading is not merely an evaluation of student performance but a means to give feedback designed to improve that performance." ~ Douglas Reeves, 2011
An important part of the report card is the Learning Skills and Work Habits. There are six learning skills and work habits being reported on each term:
- Responsibility
- Organization
- Independent Work
- Collaboration
- Initiative
- Self-Regulation
Term 1 provincial report cards went home on February 12. Parent-teacher meetings to discuss progress (if necessary) were requested by the classroom teachers. Parents and guardians were invited for parent/guardian conferences this term in the following circumstances:
- Students who are or may be at risk for promotion to the next grade
- Students whose placement in an alternative (e.g., French Immersion) or special education program is being considered
- Students whose achievement has declined significantly
- In addition to the above, parents and guardians can request an interview if required
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf
We encourage you to continually dialogue with teachers in order to build a solid understanding of your son’s or daughter’s progress throughout the year. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.
FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
By appointment only
February 23-27
Our Full Day Kindergarten Registration is by appointment only during the week of February 23-27. Due to our high enrollment we will be doing registrations similar to last year. Registration will not be approved until the information has been carefully assessed. Our office staff will contact parents once the registration has been approved. We are a “closed” school and are only able to register children who are in our catchment area only. Kindergarten registrations will continue throughout the rest of the year by appointment even after the registration week. Please call our Office Administrator at 416-393-1560 for a morning or afternoon appointment.
The following items will be required at time of registration:
- Child’s birth certificate
- Immunization records
- Health card
- Two utility bills with proof of residency
- Property ownership/rental agreement
- Landed immigrant status information/permanent resident card (if applicable)
Kindergarten Tours are scheduled for Tuesday June 17, 2015 at 9:30AM and 1:00PM. Please RSVP 416 393-1560 between June 8-12 and let us know which tour time you will attend.
FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN and UNICORN DAYCARE
Full Day Kindergarten is available to students in our catchment (boundary) area only. We work closely with Unicorn Daycare to ensure that only students living within our boundaries are eligible to register for Brown’s FDK and the Daycare programs. We work collaboratively to ensure a fluid and smooth transition for this endeavour each year. We currently have 6 full day units of Kindergarten; 4 English classes and 2 SK French Immersion classes. Before and after school day care is available and a hot lunch program is offered. Please contact Unicorn Daycare at 416-929-6841 for more information.
GRADE 6 GRADUATION TRIP
The Graduation Trip this year is to the Niagara region during June 10-12. Permission forms and Itinerary information will be sent home during the week of February 24-28. Parents/guardians are asked to fill out the forms and follow payment instructions. We really want 100% participation for this trip. Should parents wish to discuss their child’s participation regarding this trip, please contact Gina Christakis-Principal.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Our Family of Schools continues to need lunch hour supervisors. If you know anyone who would be interested in applying for this hour and a half a day position, please speak to the Principal or Vice-Principal at Brown P.S.
We are still interested in hiring for our Emergency Replacement list. We thank parents that have sent in their information and have shown interest in this position. Please contact the Principal if you are interested.
YOUR DONATIONS TO BROWN P.S.
Generous donations are made to our school every year. We are very fortunate and proud to have a fundraising committee and active parent community that help support the many wonderful activities and events we are able to bring to our students.
Fundraising dollars are raised each year with a clear vision of where the monies will be spent. Last year we created three buckets that we felt your donation dollars would best support our school. We have a bucket for school resources, a technology bucket and an extra-curricular/ special presentations/activities/events bucket.
Since I have been at Brown P.S we have purchased computers and a computer cart for the third floor; Wi-Fi routers for the whole school; SMART BOARDS for our Primary and Junior Divisions and PROMETHEAN BOARDS for our Kindergartens. Your dollars have helped with our many special presentations, music, art and science activities, field trips and our various sports teams and events.
A monthly statement of these expenditures is always available to those interested in knowing where the money is being spent. Our school council treasurer has a full report of these expenditures and presents them at the Parent Council meetings on a monthly basis.
We truly appreciate the generosity of our Brown P.S. families. With your continued support we will continue to fulfill our student and school needs.
FLU SEASON
The flu virus spreads quickly and easily among children at school and at play. The flu is spread by coughing and sneezing and from touching contaminated surfaces like toys, doorknobs and computer keyboards after someone with the flu has touched them. Children should be reminded to wash their hands frequently during the day and to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
We recently sent home information about the measles and immunization. Please check the recent Brown Bulletin blast for more information.
FEBRUARY IS CANADIAN HERITAGE MONTH
This month, we honour the culture and background of many of our students. We are a diverse school community with wonderful opportunities to learn from each other, particularly at these special times of the year.
African Heritage and Black History Month
The Toronto District School Board values the cultural richness offered by the diversity of our student and parent communities. The school board recognizes African Heritage Month, and acknowledges the tremendous history and contributions of peoples of African descent within our school communities and is an occasion for all our schools and workplaces to renew our knowledge and understanding of the history, achievements and experiences of people of African descent in Canada and throughout the world.
Cheryl Thornton will be presenting Stories from Africa, an engaging interactive storytelling and drama assembly celebrating Black History Month. Students will become familiar with stories from diverse cultures throughout Africa as they explore their creativity and expand language, cooperative learning and communication skills.
Primary Assembly February 19 12:35-1:35PM
Kindergarten Assembly 1:45-2:45PM
Junior Assembly February 27 12:35-1:35PM
For more info check the following website: www.cherylthornton.com
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festival in the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, is on Thursday, February 19, 2015. It marks the start of the Year of the Wood Sheep in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the Year of the Sheep are thought to be loyal, good natured and kind. They are believed to be introverts who can easily be overtaken by emotion. Many of our schools hold celebrations – We wish our families celebrating, Happy New Year; "Gong Xi Fa Cai" (Mandarin) and "Gong Hey Fat Choy" (Cantonese).
Family Heart Healthy!
February is Heart Month. Three things that will keep your heart strong and healthy are healthy eating, physical activity and not smoking or being around smoke. As parents you can start teaching your children these three messages at a young age to help them become healthy adults.
How can you do this?
- If you smoke, think about quitting and make your home smoke-free
- Have fun with your children and plan family activities like cycling, walking, swimming and ice-skating
- Buy, prepare and enjoy healthy foods
FEBRUARY'S CHARACTER TRAIT: FAIRNESS
Our Brown students continue to learn about FAIRNESS. What is fairness?
Your child can show fairness by:
- playing and working fairly with others in the family
- treating family members with respect and without prejudice
- treating others in the family in the way that they would like to be treated
- What is fairness, and what does it mean to be fair?
- Do you treat others the way you would like to be treated?
- When someone is unfair, how does that make you feel?
- Does equality mean that everyone gets the same, or that everyone gets what they need?
- Watch a television program together. Talk about the various ways in which certain characters acted unfairly toward each other. Discuss how the situation could have been avoided.
- Listen to your child if he or she has a concern or request. Engage in fair discussion to resolve the issue.
- Show that fairness is important, and that it is crucial to treat others with respect and without judgment.
- Share a situation in which you felt you were treated fairly or unfairly, and describe how that impacted your day.
“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
“Hear both sides before judging.” ~H. Jackson Brown
“Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.” ~Sir James Dewar
“Beware as long as you live, of judging people by appearance.” ~Jean de la Fontaine
“If you judge people you have no time to love them.” ~Mother Teresa
We encourage our Brown students to practise fairness and be the best that they can be at all times by caring, sharing, being empathetic, charitable, kind and most importantly, respectful and responsible.
Thank you for supporting our Character Development program at Brown P.S.
Reminder-Oh the weather outside is Cold!
BRRR! It's COLD outside! As the cold weather and snow continue, we are requesting that parents ensure that children are dressed properly for the weather, which means wearing hats, mittens or gloves, scarves, snow pants and boots. We ask that parents remind their children about dressing warmly for the cold weather as they are outside frequently over the course of the day. Please take a few moments to review the reasons for wearing (not just bringing to school!) warm clothing in winter. A great idea is to label clothing and belongings with your child's name, as this allows us to identify clothing that has made its way to the Lost and Found.
On bitterly cold days, we will have indoor recess and will call students into the school before morning entry. As we sometimes have wet snow or rain in the yard, we remind the children to wear boots to school. Many children continue to wear only running shoes and often have to sit with wet feet in class. When children wear boots, they also need indoor sneakers/shoes. It is unpleasant for them to sit or walk around with sock feet on floors that are often wet and/or cold. It is also unsafe as they can easily slip or fall. In an emergency, or a fire drill, the children must have footwear on.
Thank you for your help in ensuring your child is safe, comfortable, warm and hopefully, dry.
Safety
The safety of our students is of paramount importance. Some reminders:
1. If you are arranging a playdate for your child, please make your arrangements ahead of time and send a note to your child's teacher in the event they are being asked to send your child home with someone new. Unless we have WRITTEN PERMISSION, we will not release your child to someone who is not in our database as having permission for pick-up.
2. Supervision in the morning begins at 8:25AM, in the school yard. During inclement weather, morning supervision begins at 8:25AM in the hallway of your child's classroom. Unless your child is in the daycare or has a prearranged morning practice for a club or team, they should not be in the school before 8:25AM when supervision begins.
3. Parents are reminded to sign in at the office when they
are in the school beyond drop-off and pick-up times (meetings, volunteering,
etc.). Just to clarify though, parents need not sign in at the office if they
are making their way directly to the gym for a community event like a school
assembly or the recent Speech Arts Festivals.
4. No dog policy: Please respect TDSB policy by not bringing dogs onto the playground. The yard is a small space used by all of our children. We love our pets too; however, many children and parents are afraid of dogs and are not comfortable in their presence. We are particularly concerned about pets in the school yard areas in the spring and fall as we often have children coming into the office with soiled clothing.
4. No dog policy: Please respect TDSB policy by not bringing dogs onto the playground. The yard is a small space used by all of our children. We love our pets too; however, many children and parents are afraid of dogs and are not comfortable in their presence. We are particularly concerned about pets in the school yard areas in the spring and fall as we often have children coming into the office with soiled clothing.
Lost & Found
Parents, please check our lost and found collection. There are many items currently in the Lost and Found area that need to be recovered. Remember to label items (esp. lunch bags) with a permanent marker.
Getting on the Right Track re: homework routines
Establishing consistent homework and study routines are critical components in assisting students to be the best learners they can be. The following tips will assist you in setting up a homework/study space:
A complete assignment notebook/agenda
- Write down all assignments right away
- Know exactly what you are supposed to do
- Start immediately after you sit down
- Have everything you need with you
- Plan when you will study
- A consistent time and place is best
- Break down large tasks into smaller ones
- Keep a record of what you do accomplish
- Not too bright, not too dim
- Use one that is comfortable
- Have all necessary text books & reference books handy
- Pencils, pens, markers, erasers, white-out, ruler, stapler, paperclips, pencil sharpener, post-it notes, paper, scissors, calculator, etc.
- This will help you manage your time
- This would include TV, loud music
- Soft, background music may be helpful
- Get enough sleep
- Eat regular meals & healthy snacks
- Exercise regularly
- Schedule short breaks during study time
CLASS DISTRIBUTION LIST PROTOCOL
Every year we welcome
new parents and families to our school and every year there seems to be a bit
of confusion about how the class distribution list is to be used. Please
note that all correspondence must be sent out as (blind carbon copy) Bcc……
Due to privacy laws, parents should not be able to see other parents email
addresses. If parents want to share their e-mail addresses, that is
something they may arrange on their own; however, they should not have access
to everyone’s email addresses through our school/class distribution list.
Below is what the classroom distribution list is
for:
Class lists are for internal use only, are not to be distributed outside of the class, and the contact information is to be used to arrange playdates, send birthday party invitations, or otherwise make contact related to positive activities. The class lists are not to be used to discuss concerns or complaints about other students, staff, or the school. Concerns of that nature should be brought directly to the Office.
Sincerely,
G. Christakis
Principal
