News from the Office - Feb 2013

Essentials

• Upcoming events: Term 1 report cards, Full day kindergarten
• Special events and performances
• Washrooms - Misuse and graffiti
• Celebrating the month of February
• Reminders and recommendations: flu season, Internet safety, homework routines
• February's character trait: Fairness
• Important reminders

UPCOMING EVENTS

Term 1 Report Cards and Parent/Teacher Interviews

First term report cards will be sent home on February 13 and 14. The first term report cards communicate your child’s strengths, weaknesses and next steps as it relates to achievement of the curriculum expectations for each subject area as well as their achievement of the learning skills.

In addition, parent-teacher interviews will occur on the evening of Thursday, February 14 and on the morning of Friday, February 15.  Please contact your child’s teacher to arrange for an interview. Call 416-393-1560

Sonja and I will be available in the office on Thursday evening and Friday during the day should you require to meet with us.

Full Day Kindergarten Registration            

Brown P.S. will be a Full Day Kindergarten school as of September 2013.  Construction for this program will begin in March 2013.  Full day means children will be in school the whole day, not half a day.

A Full Day Kindergarten Information Session will be held on February 26th in the gym at 7:00 p.m.  Come and learn all about FDK and participate in the Question and Answer session.

Kindergarten Tours are scheduled for March 7 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Please RSVP 416 393-1560. 

 

Our Full Day Kindergarten Registration (Feb. 4-8) went very well.  We have a very healthy enrollment next year.  We are able to register children who are eligible to attend Junior or Senior Kindergarten in 2013/2014 who are in our catchment area only after the registration week also.  Please call 416-393-1560 at your earliest convenience to arrange a time for your visit.  Morning and afternoon appointments are available.  

The following items will be required at time of registration:

• Child’s birth certificate 
• Immunization records 
• Two proofs of address 
• Health card 
• Landed immigrant status information 

Registration packages can be picked up from the office ahead of scheduled appointment times to speed up the process. 

Full Day Kindergarten and Unicorn Daycare

Full Day Kindergarten will be available to students in our catchment area only.  We are working closely with Unicorn Daycare to ensure that only students living within our boundaries will be eligible to register for Brown’s FDK and the Daycare programs. We will continue to work collaboratively to ensure a fluid and smooth transition to this endeavour. We will have 5 full day units of Kindergarten; 3 English classes and 2 SK French Immersion classes.   Before and after school day care will be available and a hot lunch program will be also be available.  Please contact Unicorn Daycare for more information at 416 929-6841.

Job Opportunities

We will require noon hour assistants for the Full day Kindergarten classes to help with lunch hour and school yard supervision. If you know anyone who would be interested in applying for this one hour a day position, please speak to the Principal or Vice-Principal. 

SPECIAL EVENTS AND PERFORMANCES 

Back due to popular demand on February 14 – THE POWER OF ONE for our K-grade 4 students. This is a great presentation teaching students about bullying, the bystander, and strategies to deal with bullies and challenging situations.  This presentation will take place in our gym at 12:45 p.m.  I am encouraging and inviting parents to attend this worthwhile 40-minute presentation.

On February 25, the grade 4-6 students will have a CYBERBUSTERS presentation in the gym. This production is by the same group that will perform THE POWER OF ONE.  This presentation will take place in our gym at 12:45 p.m.  I am encouraging and inviting parents to attend this worthwhile 40-minute presentation also.

WASHROOMS - MISUSE AND GRAFFITI
Our caretakers work hard to keep the student washroom soap dispensers filled, but occasionally they get misused by students and are left to drain empty.  Recently, a number of students started opening the dispensers and throwing unpleasant items in the soap.  Please speak to your child about this behaviour and let us know if they can help us figure out who is responsible for this inappropriate behaviour. We will try to be vigilant in keeping them filled and clean, but we ask you to remind your children about proper behaviour in the washrooms.

We have also had some graffiti in the washrooms.  While it is not anything to panic about, sometimes even just a name on the wall can be hurtful to a child.  Talk to your children about this inappropriate behaviour also.  We do our best at school to discuss these issues, but your support and reinforcement of our code of conduct at home is always appreciated.

 

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.

Happy Lunar New Year
February 10th, 2013 is a very important day for many people all over the world. This day marks the beginning of a new year for people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Mongolian ancestry and their Diaspora. Many followers of Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism also hold this day important for its symbolism of renewal.

“This 2013 year of Snake is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve what you set out to create. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal Signs. It is the enigmatic, intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animals Signs. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve.”

Happy New Year to our families celebrating during the month of February!

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

During February, teachers will have the chance to teach your children heart health.

REMINDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Flu Season - Remind your children

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.   

Safety on the Internet: What to teach your children

The best way to ensure your child’s safety on the Internet is to be there. Of course, that is not always possible. Just as you teach your child rules about dealing with strangers outside the home, you must provide rules for communicating online.

Teach children that not everything they see or hear may be true. Some sites may be trying to sell them something or contain inaccurate information. Remember, the vast majority of Internet sites are perfectly safe. But, like the real world, the virtual world contains some sites with content that may not be appropriate for children.

If you have a home computer, a number of software filters are available to block Web sites you may not want your child to visit. Parents need to understand that filters are not perfect. They cannot block everything you might not want your child to see and they may block information that is helpful. Even if filters were 100 percent effective, this software is no substitute for parental guidance.

We strongly recommend that you supervise your son/daughter’s internet use at home. It’s a good idea to place computers in the kitchen, family room, or living room so that you can see your child using it. Parents may also visit www.protectchildrenonline.org. Students can visit www.cybertip.ca/app/en/respect_home.

Getting on the Right Track: 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 what you wish to accomplish

• 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

Good lighting

• Not too bright, not too dim

Chair

• Use one that is comfortable 

Books

• Have all necessary text books & reference books handy

Supplies

• Pencils, pens, markers, erasers, white-out, ruler, stapler, paperclips, pencil sharpener, post-it notes, paper, scissors, calculator, etc.

Clock

• This will help you manage your time

Distraction-free

• This would include TV, loud music
• Soft, background music may be helpful

To maximize learning:

• Get enough sleep
• Eat regular meals & healthy snacks
• Exercise regularly
• Schedule short breaks during study time

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

Questions to discuss with your child:

• 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? 

Projects to do together:

• 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.

Encouraging fairness in your child:

• 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.

Quotations 

“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.

Sincerely,

G.Christakis

Principal 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Oh, the weather outside is Cold!
BRRR!  It's COLD outside!  With the arrival of cold weather, 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.  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.  During wet and slushy days please ensure your child has a pair of shoes that can be worn inside (but that are not worn outside) while boots are left outside the classroom to dry.  This ensures that carpets in classrooms stay dry, and helps to eliminate slippery floors.

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 before the holidays.  Remember to label items (esp. lunch bags) with a permanent marker.

Yard Supervision
Yard Supervision for Grades JK to 6 begins at 8:35 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. Afternoon Kindergarten supervision begins at 12:45 p.m. 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!

Sign-In and Sign-Out Procedures
We understand that students may have to attend appointments during the instructional school hour day. Parents/Guardians are reminded that students must be signed out and back in for safety and attendance reasons.  The sign-in and sign-out binders are located in the main office.

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 Rd.

Community Issue: Parking near school
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 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. (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.

Relaying Messages to your Children or the Office
In the event of an emergency, we always do our utmost to relay messages to students; however, we will not disrupt classes and interrupt instruction time to give messages to individual students. Our Office Administrator and clerical staff are very busy during the day. To minimize the numerous phone calls they are currently receiving, we kindly ask for your cooperation to please make arrangements for special pick-ups prior to your child’s coming to school. The agenda is an excellent tool for communication between home and school for dental and medical appointments when your child needs to leave early. Letters are required to our office staff to notify us that your child is leaving the school early for an appointment or other matter.  Parents who are picking students up must sign out the student at the office. Please help us with this process and make this a best practice at Brown P.S.

Swim Attire
Many students are forgetting their swim gear and having to call home. This is another disruption for the office staff and to instruction time.  Please check your child’s timetable and ensure they have their swim attire on a regular basis.  Possibly send the swim attire a day before the actual swimming class.

Hallway Safety
We kindly ask that parents and caregivers drop off their children in the school yard as a best practice and allow the students to go to their classrooms on their own upon the entry bell. Our hallways are narrow and when too many people congregate in the hallways, it creates a great deal of congestion. To ensure the safety of our students, please help us make this a best practice also.