Important

Dates:

May 5th

School Council

6:30 p.m.

May 6th-8th

Book Fair

May 15th

Volunteer

Celebration

May 19th

Victoria Day

No School

May 22

Welcome To

Kindergarten

6 p.m.

May 26th—30th

EQAO

Grades 3 and 6

May 29th

Sharing Assembly

K-2—1:15 pm

Gr. 3-6—2:45 pm

May 2014

http://schools.peelschools.org/1280

The entrance to Mineola school is delightful and is a good indication that spring is indeed just around the corner! If you have a chance to drop by, please take a moment to admire the ‘memory garden’ with its beautiful and wide variety of plants ... enjoy!

Education Week

Thank you to all the staff, students, and many families who joined us for a very special morning on April 25

th. The morning began with a community breakfast,

followed by O Canada, morning announcements, and special student presentations. The highlight of the morning was the planting of 8 new trees on the playground. Every student was able to add a handful of soil and contribute to the beautification of the grounds. We would like to offer a very special thank you to the committee who organized this special morning: Ms. Haines, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Forde as well as many other staff members and families.

A Kid’s Life

On April 15th, the Mineola community was treated to a very special musical presented by our Junior students at Port Credit Secondary School. It was evident from the wonderful show how much hard-work our students put into the presentation. A big thanks goes out to Mrs. Goddard and all of the Mineola staff who supported her in making this such a terrific evening.

Food Treats, Perfumes

This is a reminder to not send food of any type, to be shared, to school. As previously mentioned, we have a large number of students and staff with severe allergies, to many foods and to scents from perfumes, body sprays, etc. We ask all families to please be respectful of this request.

CLASS BUILDING 2014-2015

Organizing classes within a school is a very significant task. Many factors are carefully taken into consideration before the process begins. Teachers and administrators meet as groups to discuss class groupings and to build tentative classes. We do our best to use the information available to create classes that are balanced in terms of students' academic, social, and learning-style needs, in an effort to promote success for all students.

As a parent, you may have some other information about your child that might help us with your son or daughter's placement. If you have any information that you believe would have a significant impact on your child's class placement, please send a written note to the school office, addressed to Ms. Howard, no later than Friday May 23

rd. Please do not request specific teachers, as

teaching assignments may continue to change.

Please be advised that we will be considering any information you provide in writing as part of the decision making process, however, it is important to note that the final decision regarding placement rests with the school. Thank you for respecting our ‘big picture’ view.

All schools in the Peel District School Board ensure compliance with the Primary Class Size initiative as required by the Ministry of Education. For the 2014-2015 school year, the Ministry con-tinues to expect that 90 percent of JK to Grade 3 classes across the Board will have a student teacher ratio of 20:1. The remaining primary classes will have a ratio of no greater than 23:1. This supports ongoing and quality assessment of student learning and progress, allows for increased individual and small group instruction in the classroom, and more frequent communication between teachers and the home.

In order for our Board to be fully compliant with this Ministry expectation, many elementary schools will need to reorganize their classes in late September, and may have a change in staffing. Principals do not have the option of not reorganizing in these situations.

Due to the possible need to reorganize classes, parents should be aware that:

- the name of your child's teacher for September will not be communicated until the Labour Day weekend, when class lists will be posted. You will need to know your child’s OEN number, located at the top of the report card

MUSIC MONDAY

Music Monday is an annual event started by the Coalition for Music Education that occurs on the first Monday in May. This year will be the 10th anniversary of Music Monday and Mineola's first year participating. On Monday May 5th, our school will help to "fill the sky with music" by singing the official Music Monday song, "Is Somebody Singing." This song was written last year by Ed Robertson of the group The Barenaked Ladies, and Col. Chris Hadfield. It was simulcast for the first time from space last year while Chris Hadfield was in command of the international space station. The acronym I.S.S. is an intentional connection between the song writers and the space station by the song writers. Stu-dents will be learning the song while at school. Please feel free to look up related you-tube videos to enjoy with your children.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR:

Chess Club: Congratulations to all the junior students who represented our school at the Peel Chess Tournament on April 30

th and May 1

st, 2014. Students had an

opportunity to face opponents from 50 different schools and displayed great perseverance and sportsmanship. One student, Nolan S., even got to the top 16 players out of almost 200 grade 5 students! Thanks also to Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Remtulla and Mrs. Lavigne-Bruce for running the chess club this year. Great job everyone and keep practising for next year!

Green Team: Our Green Team has been working hard this month with the school greening vision/planning and brainstorming ideas to save our Oak Tree. Their informative talk during our Education Week morning celebration as well as reciting

the old school song about the Oak tree certainly highlighted the importance of this special tree. Thank-you to Mrs. Roberston and Mrs. Murray for working with this team!

Drama Club: A big congratulations goes out to our Drama Club’s presentation of “The Lorax” at last month’s assembly. Their superb acting and dancing sent a clear message about our impact on the environment. Thank-you to Ms. Mackay for leading this group of

energetic young actors.

Soccer Team: Soccer practices for both boys and girls Junior teams have begun in preparation for the upcoming tournaments here at Mineola! Thank-you to Ms.Schween, Ms. James, Mr. Tam and Mr. Adam for coaching our students.

Kilometre Club: Our kilometre club is off to a great start with many students and families taking part as we track our “Walk Across Canada” A big thanks goes out to Mrs. McDougall, Mrs. Hsu and Mrs. Huong and all of the terrific parent volunteers for helping out each morning.

Skipping Team: Over the past few weeks our skipping team has been both practicing and entertaining the school at assemblies and our Jump Rope For Heart event. Their enthusiasm and great tricks have inspired the rest of our students to skip at recess breaks! Thanks to Ms. Roberston and Ms. Kohara for leading this group.

Knitting and Crochet Club Our newest club will be offered to grade 2 students, with grade 5 helpers, and both boys and girls are invited to join. The club will meet on Tuesdays at lunch outdoors, weather permitting, otherwise indoors. Any contributions of yarn would be much appreciated ... just send donations to the office. Thank you!

EQAO ASSESSMENT

Students in Grades 3 and 6 will be participating in the province-wide EQAO assessment from May 26 to June 6, 2014. This assessment is based on The Ontario Curriculum and will give our students the opportunity to show what they know and how they can apply their knowledge. Students will be participating in assessment tasks in reading, writing, and mathematics. If you have a child in grade 3 or 6, please refrain from scheduling

appointments or holidays between May 26th to June 6th. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Celebrating Faith and Culture

May 2014 DATE

CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

May Yansa'altt Aboriginal Spirituality

May 1 Beltane Wicca

May 2 12th Day of Ridvan Bahá'í

May 2 Akshaya-tritiya Jainism

May 6 or 13 Sakyamuni Buddha;s Birthday Buddhism

May 14 Wesak Day Buddhism

May 17 the month of 'Azamat Bahá'í

May 19 Victoria Day Canada

Eve of May 22 to May 23 Declaration of the Báb Bahá'í

May 25 or 26 Isra and Mi’raj Islam

May 25 Zarathosht-no-Diso Zoroastrianism

May 29 Ascension Christianity

May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Bahá'í

Raz Kids:

http://www.raz-kids.com/

Access to the Raz kids program (with student passwords) has been sent home by your child’s homeroom teacher. If you have not received access information, please contact the office. Be sure to try it out at home with your children over the next few weeks!

ARE YOU MOVING?

If you have plans to move out of the Mineola Public School area prior to September, please notify the office as soon as possible. If you are moving but remaining in the area, please forward updated address and telephone information asap. Thank you!

Jump Rope For Heart:

On May 5th, Mineola students and staff came together for a great hour of skipping in support of “Jump Rope For Heart”. Thank-you to Ms. Robertson and Mrs. Kohara for organizing both this event and our skipping team. A big thanks goes out to our Mineola families and community for raising a total of $5669.45! Way to go!

On the road again: How to keep your cyclist safe Here are some tips you can review with your child to ensure bike season gets off to a great start: The right fit

children should be able to straddle the bike with both feet on the ground

a bike that is too big or too small can be a safety hazard the helmet should fit—if it's too loose, it could fall off, if it's too tight, it's uncomfortable Get noticed

a young child's bike should be equipped with a bell and reflector older riders should have a light and/or reflectors Follow the rules

no riding on busy streets

no riding at night stop for all STOP signs

Actions that cause injuries

driveway ride out—not stopping and looking both ways before entering the street

running the stop sign

turning without warning

cycling in the dark

following the leader—one child goes through a stop sign or misses a parked car but the second cyclist doesn't

Mineola Public School puts the spotlight on Asian Heritage

In December 2001, the Senate adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month. Throughout May, students, staff and parents from across Peel will participate in a number of activities that promote the understanding of the many contributions made by Asian Canadians.

Here at Mineola we had a special staff presentation at our last assembly and are enjoying announcements around Canada’s rich Asian heritage.

Dell Canada offers special rates for Peel board families and staff The Peel board’s relationship with Dell Canada is part of the ongoing effort to create greater equity of access to technology. To learn more, or to purchase a Dell Canada notebook or tablet and see other devices offered, visit www.dell.ca/peel or www.peelschools.org/aboutus/21stCentury/byod/devices.

Peel schools honour police officers during Police Appreciation Week

The Peel District School Board will pay tribute to police officers by holding Police Appreciation Week from May 4 to 10, 2014. Peel students and staff will show their appreciation for the tremen-dous job being done by police to protect schools, homes and communi-ties. Police Appreciation Week coincides with National Police Week. Na-tional Police Week pays tribute to the work of police officers across Can-ada.

“The Peel board appreciates the dedication and commitment of police of-ficers who work to keep our schools and communities safe," says Janet McDougald, Peel board chair. "Police Appreciation Week is our way of thanking officers who dedicate themselves to protecting our community. It's also a way to give these officers the special recognition they deserve."

During this week, students, staff and parents in schools throughout Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga will honour the work of police officers and thank them for en-hancing public safety and security.

Keep your child safe around train tracks Trains are often closer and are moving faster than most motorists and pedestrians perceive. That's why all members of a family should be are aware of the importance of rail safety. Safety steps for children

Playing on railway tracks and bridges is dangerous. Find safe, supervised and open areas (e.g., neighbourhood parks) in which to have fun.

The only way to safely cross a rail track is to use designated railway crossings.

If you must cross railway tracks, for example on your way to and from school, stop, look and listen before crossing. It is against the law to trespass on railway property. Safety steps for adults

Be prepared to stop at a highway/ railway crossing.

Listen for warning bells and whistles of an approaching train. Turn off, or turn down dis-tracting fans, heaters, music/radios.

Obey the signals. Never attempt to drive under a gate as it is closing or around a closed gate. If the gate begins to close while you’re underneath, keep moving ahead until you clear the crossing.

If a police officer or a member of the train crew is directing traffic at the crossing, obey their directions.

If your vehicle stalls on the tracks, get out quickly and away from the vehicle and tracks. Move in the direction that the train is approach-ing from to avoid being hit by debris. Your vehicle will be swept for-ward by the momentum of the train.