Our answering machine picks up messages 24

hours a day. Please report illnesses, lates,

or absences before 9am at

905-564-0578

P L E A S E R E M E M B E R … … .

890 Old Derry Road West, Mississauga, ON, L5W 1A1. Phone: 905-564-5735. Fax: 905-564-2875

Principal: Mrs. J. Marshall Vice-Principal: Ms S. Damaso Office Manager: Mrs. A. Malatesta

Superintendent: Mr J. deFreitas, North Field Office, (905) 451-286 School Trustee: Mr J. White (905) 890-1099

An important message to

parents of our Grade 3

students.

EQAO testing is taking place between May 23

and June 6. Please try not to book appointments

and/or plan any holidays during this time.

It is important that students

attend school every day so they

can complete the test.

Thank you.

To ensure the safety of all in our community, we ask

that products containing nuts and nut-related items,

are not brought to school. Thank you for your coop-

eration with this.

It‟s hard to believe that we are now over half way through the school year. In fact, our Primary

classes recently celebrated the 100th day of school. We also all celebrated reading by taking

part in „Reading For The Love Of It‟. Check out the next page to find out what our Grade 2s

(and one other person) thought about this event. Also, next time you visit the office, look at the

pictures of the event on our digital photo-frame—they‟re fantastic!

Our Student Parliament has been busy and are about to start their ABSS Club. Read the Prime

Minister‟s report to find out about this exciting initiative and how it is going to have a positive impact on our

School Climate. I think we are going to see a lot of people wearing pink in school in the future!

As the finishing touches are put to this newsletter, I am looking forward to the Internet Safety and Cyber-bullying

workshop for parents. I was fortunate to attend a similar presentation a few years ago and was shocked to hear

that, by using the internet, it only takes a predator 45 minutes to find out all they need to know about a student.

Our Community Police Officer tells me that it is less than that now. I would encourage everyone to attend this

very important and, what will be, highly informative presentation.

For those of you fortunate to be going away for March Break, we wish you a safe, exciting, fun-filled holiday. For

those staying at home, we wish you a safe and relaxing time. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to

school on March 19th. Jane Marshall

This parent conference is on March 24, 2012 from 8 a.m.

to 2:30 p.m. at Rick Hansen Secondary School in Missis-sauga.

This free conference is open to all Peel board parents and

will feature:

a keynote presentation by Monique Howat, youth

motivator 52 workshops that provide advice and ideas on sup-

porting learning at home

free lunch and door prizes

The registration deadline is March 9—register early to

avoid disappointment! You can register for sessions online at www.peelschools.org in the 'Parents Boost Learning'

section. Parents without computer access can fax in their registration using the form on the brochure.

Here are some websites that may help reinforce some concepts being taught at school:

PLEASE NOTE: Whenever you enter the building you MUST notify the office, sign-in and pick up a visitor

badge. At Meadowvale Village we try to provide continuity and a stable environment for ALL students to learn.

We asked the Grade 2 students what they thought about Reading For The

Love Of It.

Occasionally circumstances beyond your control will cause a late arrival. A pattern of late arrivals however can have a negative impact.

Last minute scrambles are stressful and send your child

to school in the wrong frame of mind

Students who arrive late miss social time with their peers

Late students feel embarrassed and self-conscious

Late arrivals disturb the learning for everyone

Important teaching and learning occurs right from the begin-ning of the school day. Arriving late makes it harder for stu-dents to understand what is being asked of them

Students who arrive at school after 9:10 are late.

Late students are asked to enter through the front doors. Parents are asked to escort them to the office and to sign them in.

D o e s B e i n g L a t e

F o r S c h o o l

R e a l l y M a t t e r ?

ReadWriteThink.org is a great site for language base activities. It includes many interactive activities as well as graphic organizers to help students plan out their writing. It is appropriate for students from kindergarten right up to high school.

This fun and interactive site has games and activities for students from kindergarten up to middle school. They focus mainly on mathe-matics and language skills. Be aware that not all activities on this site can be considered educational.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/

http://www.funbrain.com/

Harsidaq said, “I liked the book be-

cause there was a hippopotamus

and that‟s my favourite animal.”

Arnav said, “I thought that the book was great

and I had lots of fun listening to the story.‟

Iman said,” I liked the

book that was read to

me because the hippo-

potamus turned into a

toy.”

Kabir said, “The story

was about worn out

shoes. There was a

princess and a king. It

was a great book.”

Mishaal said, “The book I heard

was good but it was sad in the

middle. Mrs Guidolin read the

book.”

Kopal said, “ I think the book was

really good. There was a wolf

and a boy in it.”

Ronav said, “ I read „Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude‟

with Ms. Mckenzie and Mrs. Bishop. I liked the book.

Bravinth said, “

I read with Mr. Hamid.

I liked the book.”

Xander said, “ I liked the

book because there

were lots of animals in

the book and I like ani-

mals.”

Aaron said, “It was fun lis-

tening to a book from one of

my favourite series.‟

Spencer said, “I think the book was excellent because

the illustrations were really good.”

Jeevan said, “I liked the illustra-

tions and the book was called

„The Hockey Sweater‟. I like

playing hockey with my friends.”

Olivia said, “I thought it was

really good and the book

was really funny.”

Kreshana said, “It was

very nice and really cool

going to a different per-

Vikram said, “I think it was fun because Mrs. Vickery

used a lot of expression.” ...and Mrs. Marshall said, “It

was so much fun reading to

the children. I hope we do

this again next year.”

D A T E S F O R Y O U R D I A R Y

Please remember the following dates:

F O R G O T T E N L U N C H E S

We encourage all our students to be responsible

and bring their healthy lunches with them when

they arrive at school in the morning. If a lunch

must be delivered during the morning, we ask

that you assist us by doing the following:

Ensure that the lunch is a healthy choice

Clearly label the lunch with your child‟s name

and class

Tell your child that the lunch will be on the

lunch table in the foyer for 12:05 p.m.

By following these simple rules, we encourage

healthy eating habits and we do not have to

March 1, 2012 Peel Police Presentation FOR PARENTS ONLY — Internet

Safety and Cyberbullying—Babysitting available—7:00pm

March 2, 2012 MAGIC Assembly—Good Sportsmanship—1:20pm

March 8, 2012 Skating Day

March 12—16, 2012 March Break—No school for students

interrupt classes/learning or call

students to the office.

Your ongoing assistance with this

is appreciated.

Polly Beckett Library is a busy place during lunch hours. Dur-

ing the month of December and into January, grade 5 students

met weekly and put pencil to paper as members of the Young

Authors’ Club. Under the guidance of Mrs. Coutu, Mrs. Mal-

seed, Mrs. Santangelo-Williams, Ms Walker, and Mrs. Rolston,

these aspiring authors, worked on mysteries, graphic novels,

nonfiction, and picture books. The Club will resume after Sil-

ver Birch voting.

Approximately 30 grade 3 students have been meeting on day 4

and day 9 to read and discuss the Silver Birch Express books.

Some of these enthusiastic readers have already read as many

as 5 of the 10 nominated books!

The Silver Birch Nonfiction Club has been going strong for the

past month on day 1 and day 6. These 20 grade 4 and 5 stu-

dents, who have a passion for good nonfiction, have been read-

ing the 10 nonfiction nominees. One of the favourites this year

has been Don’t Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things

Adults Tell You, by Catherine Rondina.

The 30 grade 4 and 5 readers who are part of the Silver Birch

Fiction Club have been meeting on day 3 and day 8 to discuss

novels such as That Boy Red by Rachana Gilmore and Under-

grounders by David Skuy. Some of the nominated novels are

real page-turners. Members of the club have been reading at

home, during independent reading time at school, and can even

be seen reading outside at recess! Voting takes place in mid

April. We can’t wait to find out which books win the coveted

Forest of Reading award.

Thank you to Mrs. Coutu, Mrs. Malseed, and Mrs. Marshall

who are assisting me with the Forest of Reading clubs.

Hello Students and Parents of MVPS. This is the Prime

Minister’s report. First, I would like to thank everyone for

their support in the Friend-Gram fundraiser. We were

able to raise just over $200 for the Grade 5 end of year

Farewell Celebration!

We have a lot of events coming up in the near future!

Spirit days are going to happen next week with a crazy

hat day on Friday, March 2. There is a new ABSS club

that is beginning (Anti-Bullying and Social Skills) club

which will be helping people to make good choices

and not be bullies. There is also an anti-bullying

“pledge” which is going to be introduced by the Stu-

dent Parliament at next Friday’s assembly. The Grade 5

Art Club has begun, as well as the Origami Club. There

was Intramural hockey, and a Soccer Club.

The first term of the Student Parliament will be

ending at March Break. Following March Break,

there will be a second round of elections, and the

students will get to vote in a new Parliament, or

maybe some of us will be re-elected!

Thank You, Saqib Shaikh, Student Parliament

Prime Minister

The number of students dropped off and picked up at school greatly increases during the winter months and on rainy days. As such, traffic congestion in front of the school in the morning and at dismissal can create a dangerous situation for our students and staff.

We understand that many families need to drive their children to school, but that doesn‟t mean that safety needs to be put at risk. Based on ongoing concerns about the safety of our students and staff, we are asking for your co-operation and assistance in following the safety rules in our parking lot. These rules have one purpose—to ensure that every child arrives and departs from school safely each day.

Here are some ways you can help to keep students and staff safe in the school parking lot:

Drive slowly and with caution on and near school property. Adhere to the posted speed limits on Old Derry Road and 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.

There is NO PARKING and NO WAITING in the Kiss and Ride lane, parking spaces for persons with a disability, bus lanes or fire lanes. You must keep your car engine running while in the Kiss and Ride lane. Pay attention to the traffic in front of you and pull forward as cars move forward.

Do not leave your car if you are waiting for your child. If you get out of your car, park in a lined parking space or on the street.

Do not double park or do anything else to block traffic.

Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the curb. Say goodbye to your child before you enter the drop-off area.

Please ensure that your children exit through the passenger side of your vehicle. If you choose to park in the parking lot, please escort your child to or from the nearest sidewalk and cross at the crosswalks.

During regular drop-off times, students are to remain in the car until it is safe for them to exit the car.

After picking up or dropping off your child, leave promptly so that others can get in behind you.

Follow the directions of staff on duty in the school parking lot and treat staff, students, volunteers, pas-sengers 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.

The above parking lot rules have been implemented for the safety of our students and their families. Please follow them when dropping off your children, picking them up or parking at the school. Your co-operation and patience is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact the school.

Thank you for working with us to keep Meadowvale Village Public School a safe place for students, staff and the community.

Help us to encourage and enhance parent involvement in Peel

Apply for a position on the board's Parent Involvement Committee

Under the Ministry of Education's Parent Involvement Policy, all boards must have a committee comprised of a

majority of parents that is directly linked to the director of education and trustees. The Peel board Parent In-

volvement 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

Membership is a majority of parents, reflecting the diversity of the parent community. Parent rep-

resentatives will be required to serve two-year terms, beginning in September and ending in Au-

gust.

We are now in the process of inviting parents to apply for four positions on the committee. In early May, a se-

lection sub-committee consisting of current parent and trustee members will review all parent applications and

select representatives using the following Parent Member Selection Criteria as a guide:

reflects the diversity of the community

understands the importance of parent, family and community engagement

has experience working with newcomers to Canada, Ontario or Peel

has volunteer experience – including experience on school council

has previous experience in Peel board parent involvement activities

demonstrates advocacy and community development skills

has a present level of involvement in the education system

demonstrates a keen interest in public education

For more information about the PIC and to download the application package, visit www.peelschools.org. Under

the ‘Parents Boost Learning’ menu, select ‘Get Involved’ and ‘Parent Involvement Committee’.

Forms must be returned by April 13, 2012.

Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as Spring blossoms. Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional

family experience with a visit to its Maple Syrup Bush. Join in on an authentic Canadian tradition.

For a number of years the Peel Field Centres have invited the public for an awe-inspiring visit to our out-

standing Maple Sugar Bush during the March Break. Individuals and families are invited to get involved as

Spring comes to life. Help empty sap buckets, tap trees or sample some freshly made maple syrup as we cele-

brate the new syrup season. Take a hike along our tranquil trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand.

A teepee and early settler site will also be set up to show how syrup was collected and produced in centuries

past. Use pioneer tools or listen to an Aboriginal tale around the campfires. No visit would be complete without

a trip to the sugar shack where the sap is boiling and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of the chimney.

Learn how modern day syrup operations are conducted with an industrial evaporator and tap line system. Have

a taste of the freshly made syrup. It's going to be sweet!

The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/child 12 and under. Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot

chocolate, cookies and hotdogs for you to roast over an open fire. For more information, please contact the Jack

Smythe Field Centre at

1-905-877-7771.

Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta:

North on Mississauga Rd, Left on King Street (You will see Credit View P.S. on your left), Right on Winston

Churchill Blvd (You will pass the Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) to the top of the hill and left into

the Jack Smythe site.

Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre

During March Break

Open Wednesday, March 14 to Saturday, March 17

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

V o l u n t e e r a n d m a k e a d i f f e r e n c e a t o u r s c h o o l

Parents play an important role in the development and education of their children and in the success of the school com-munity. Studies indicate that parents are the most important influence in a child's life outside of school.

At Meadowvale Village Public School, we welcome and encourage participation of parents and community members. Of course, we also recognize the time and energy these volunteers give.

There is a common misconception that volunteering in a school requires a huge commitment and a lot of your free time. There are many volunteer opportunities available at our school that are flexible and range from a few hours per month to five hours a day, depending on your schedule.

Examples of various volunteer opportunities include (but are not limited to):

accompanying students and teachers on field trips

preparing classroom materials from home, e.g. cutting, tracing, collating, etc.

field trips, preparation for events, e.g. baking, cooking, making telephone calls, etc.

lunch time supervision

reading with students individually or in small groups

Come visit us in the office if you're interested in volunteering at our school.

School Council would like to hear from you!

On March 1, Council offered a trial Tandori lunch to

the students. We'll be sending a survey home with all

students to find out if your child liked the lunch and if we should offer

this lunch next fall.

We had a great response to the Internet Safety and Cyber bullying presenta-

tion by Peel Police. If you would like Council to hold future information

sessions like this one on this or other topics, please let us know. Speak to

a School Council member or Mrs. Marshall at school.

Our first meeting of the Fall Fair Committee will be on Monday March 26 at

7PM in the teacher's lounge of the school. If you would like to get in-

volved or have any ideas for the fair, please join us!

For more information about School Council or to get on the email mailing

list, email laura.ziemba@paperchase.ca

FROM THE HEALTH COMMITTEE Our School Council is excited to be hosting the MVPS annual Skating Day on

March 8th. With the wonderful support of our student families and friends,

the Council has been able to offer this popular event to our students for

over 10 years now. New this year we are pleased to announce that the stu-

dents not participating in Skating Day will be staying healthy with a Winter

Community Walk.

We know that our students, families and friends will keep active this March

Break and whether you are heading to the beach or the ski slopes we know

everyone will enjoy exercise and plenty of fresh air. If you are not travel-

ling this March Break you can enjoy the warmth as well in our community

pools, waterslides, and indoor beaches – yes that’s right – indoor beaches.

Why not look into North Beach Volleyball or Beach Blast – both of these

great venues can be found on the internet and in the Yellow Pages.

Have a safe and super active March Break! School Council–Health Committee

The newsletter draw will take place the morning of March 22, 2012.

Yes, I have read the

newsletter. Please enter my

child’s name for the MVPS

draw.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________

Student name: ___________________________________________

Teacher name:____________________________________________