December 2014

Special Dates:

December 1: M&M School Shop

Day

December 5, 12: Pizza Days

December 10: Holiday perform-

ance by Centennial HS for Gr. 6–

8 students @ Centennial High

School

December 10-12: Baskets on

display and raffle tickets for

sale.

December 15: Ross Holiday Con-

cert—6:30 PM @ Centennial,

doors will open at 6:00

December 18: Swiss Chalet hot

lunch supported by our SAC

December 18: Movie & Popcorn

day, holiday sweater spirit day

Christmas Break: December 22,

2014 to January 2, 2015

January 5, 2015: return to

school

Ross Public School, 358 Niagara St., Welland, ON. L3C 1K9

Phone: 905-734-4273 Fax: 905-734-1788

Superintendent: Wes Hahn Principal: Patti Lott

Trustee: Sue Barnett Secretary: Ronna Murphy

A MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE…

On behalf of the staff at Ross, I would like to take this opportunity to

wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season! Hopefully you will find

some time to take part in winter activities and spend some quality time

with friends and family members. The last day of classes will be held on

Friday, December 19, 2014. Classes will resume in the new year on Janu-

ary 5, 2015. We would like to wish everyone a safe and happy new year!

Thanks to our community of volunteers…

The support from our community and parent volunteers has been over-

whelming. I would like to thank the many individuals who help our stu-

dents every day. We are blessed with parent volunteers that read and

work with our students on a regular basis. We also have parents and

grandparents that assist with our daily breakfast program. Many thanks

to the parents who take the time to drive to all of our sporting events as

well; without your help, student participation would be limited. Even our

lunch room supervisors are always willing to lend a hand, their time and

efforts are always appreciated. Also, thanks to the parents that pop in

to the school to help on special occasions (i.e., Halloween, gift basket

wrapping, and pizza days). I would like to thank the members of our

School Advisory Council who give up their evenings to support school ini-

tiatives. Finally, I would like to thank all of our community members for

their generous donations for our Christmas Basket Raffle… THANK YOU!

We Day

On the 20th of November we had an

amazing opportunity to go to Water-

loo and attend We Day along with

others students from across the

province! We had to be at the school

for 6:30 am, stay on a bus for the longest time and freeze but it

was definitely worth it! This day was so powerful, with many

speakers that told us so much about the world. It gave us a new

understanding about what is going on.

The speakers there influenced us to help out and support other

parts of the world that need help! Last year’s Grade 8 class

earned us our tickets by doing the We Scare Hunger food drive,

as well as supporting a global cause in Africa. This year, our

Grade 7/8 class will be doing the same for next year’s group by

helping with the Free the Children campaign this holiday season.

We Day was created by Marc and Craig Kielburger. Celebrities

like Karl Wolf, Neverest, Virginia to Vegas, Alyssa Reid and more

were all there and gave awesome performances!

The whole day was full of excitement and inspiring moments.

We are so glad that we had the chance to go, and will make sure

that we earn tickets for next year’s intermediate students at

Ross. It’s a day we will never forget!

By Shannah Marr and Madison Cowell

A special thanks to Mr. Furtney for taking on this initiative to

help our students become aware of global issues and to think of

others around the world.

Winter is coming… Snow, snow,

snow!

The snow has arrived! Ross

School’s rule is to leave it

on the ground. Please re-

inforce this rule at home.

For the safety of all stu-

dents we ask students not

to throw or kick snow.

We have a 1-2-3 policy. Each time a student throws

snow, a letter goes home and the incidences are

tracked. The first time is a warning, the second

time is parent contact with the loss of recess, and

the third time is parental contact and an in-school

time-out. Each situation is dealt with considering

mitigating factors.

Using progressive discipline, formal suspension could

result.

Anti-Bullying Awareness Week

We had a lot students show their commitment to

standing up against bullying by wearing their pink

shirts last month. Some classes were involved in: dra-

matic role-plays, pledges, brainstorming activities,

reading responses and watching videos that empha-

sized the importance of anti-bullying awareness.

Dressing the kids for the

weather…

Students are outside for two—20 minute breaks every-

day. Hats, gloves, boots, snow pants and warm jackets

make this time more enjoyable. We strongly encourage

parents to send an extra pair of mittens and socks and

indoor shoes during the winter months. Thank you.

The French Immersion program (offered at French Immersion sites) is open to all students in Senior Kindergarten. If you want

your child to develop a high proficiency and fluency in Canada’s two official languages, French Immersion has a great deal to offer.

FEATURES OF THE FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM:

Development of French language skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing from grades one to twelve;

Designed to be a second language program for children whose first language is NOT French;

Current enrolment of over 2,000 elementary students;

Certificate of French Immersion Studies awarded upon successful completion of the elementary and secondary Immersion

program;

Promoting understanding of different cultures;

Providing additional opportunities for employment using French as the working language;

An increased ability to communicate and interact with confidence in French.

Registration will open January 5th, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. and will close February 17th, 2015 at 9:00 a.m.

For more information about French Immersion in the District School Board of Niagara visit www.dsbn.org/fi or speak to your

school principal. Parent Information evening sessions will be held in January. Parent Visitations to the Grade 1 French Immersion

classrooms will occur during designated daytime hours if desired.

*N.B. – With recent revisions to the French Immersion program at the DSBN, McKay Public School in Port Colborne, is the only site accepting Grade 4 entry registrations. Please note, beginning September 2016, the DSBN will be a single entry pro-gram with French Immersion starting only in Grade 1.

Welland

Princess Elizabeth Public School (Grade 1 entry)

Parent Information Night:

Wednesday, January 7, 2015 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Grade 1 French Immersion Classroom Visits (if desired):

Thursday, January 8, 2015 11:10 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.

French Immersion Registration

Page 5

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause

transportation cancellations or school closures.

At times when student transportation has been cancelled and schools remain open, the decision of whether or not to have children in school on that day rests with the parent or guardian. Should you decide not to send your child to school in the event that transportation is cancelled but schools remain open, or if your child is ill or late, please ensure that you call your child’s school to inform them of your child’s absence. A key resource in any emergency is the DSBN Emergency Information form that you filled out at the be-ginning of the school year. Please let the school know of any changes in contact information or proce-dures you wish to be followed throughout the school year. For secondary schools it may become necessary to cancel late buses. Notice will be provided via school announcements and on the websites and subscription features by 11:30 a.m. Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will be

available as soon as it is available through the following channels:

Websites: www.dsbn.org www.nsts.ca Subscription Features: DSBN Facebook or Twitter NSTS Transportation Delay or Cancellation Alerts Phone: Niagara Student Transportation Services 905-346-0290 Voice Auto Attendant Radio Stations:

Television Stations:

CKTB (610 AM) St. Catharines CHRE (105.7 FM) St. Catharines

WAVE (94.7 FM) Hamilton CHTZ-FM (97.7 FM) St. Catharines

CKOC (1150 AM) Hamilton CKEY (105.1 FM) Niagara Falls/Fort Erie

CHML (900 AM) Hamilton K-LITE-FM (102.9 FM) Hamilton

CHAM (820 AM) Hamilton GIANT FM (91.7 FM) Welland

Y-108(107.9) Hamilton

CH – Hamilton CTV Toronto

CityTV Breakfast Television Cogeco Channel 10

It’s that time of year again... M&M Meat Shops,

located at 30 Rice Rd. will donate 10% of their

profits back to Ross School! All you need to do is

go in to the Rice Rd. location between 9:00 a.m.

and 8:00 p.m. on Monday, December 1st and iden-

tify yourself as a supporter of our school and

make a purchase. Thank you for your support.

Junior Girls Volleyball The junior girls volleyball team had a fantastic season!

They won 4 games and tied their last game of the season. They played hard and improved each game. The girls finished their regular season in 1st place. They get an automatic spot in the final playoff game on Wednesday, December 3rd at Ross and the girls earned a spot in the DSBN tournament on Tuesday, December 9th at Jeanne Sauve.

Good Luck to the girls!!

Mlle. Schram

Team members:

Makayla Armstrong, Ezrah Bacon-Butler, Taylyn

Bazylewski, Avery Girling, Pavanaa Jeyaratnam, Ka-

tie Mazurkiewicz, Mackenzie Mitchell, Ella Peters,

Kaitlyn Pottle, Ava Savio, Emma Smith, Emma

Weasner, Margaret Young

Milk Program at Ross

The Milk order forms for January will be

sent home at the end of next week

(December 5) , so that milk is available on

the first day back at school in 2015! Orders

will be due on Wednesday, December 17th.

Breakfast Club

Students who participate in student nutrition

programs are improving their quality of life two‐

fold. Not only are they optimizing their aca-

demic and behavioral performance during the

school day, but they are also securing long‐term

health by learning healthy eating habits that will

benefit them for a lifetime.

Our Breakfast Club at Ross is open every day

from 8:35 until 8:55. We provide healthy break-

fast choices each day, including cereal, toast,

yogurt, cheese, veggies and dip and fresh fruit.

Our program is supported largely through fund-

ing provided by the Niagara Nutrition Partners,

who facilitate fundraising through the Ministry

of Children and Youth Services, Community

Care, Breakfast for Learning and many other

corporate sponsors. Our own program is also

supported through school fundraising events,

such as Rockin’ for Ross, 2014, and through the

generous donations from families in our school

community. Thank you so much to Mrs. Mary

Smith, whose dedication to Ross Breakfast Club

is unwavering, and also to Andrea Smith and

Brad Shea who have joined us this year when-

ever their schedules allow. Thank you to Mrs.

Young, the Venne family and Elijah Lopez’s fam-

ily for their kind and generous donations also.

You are all greatly appreciated!

Instructions:

Ask your adult helper to cut the bottoms off of the two plastic soda bottles.

Fit the bottles together so there is a neck on either end. Tape the bottles together to form a football shape.

Cover the bottles with construction paper and ribbon if you want to decorate your zoom ball.

Thread the two strings through the bottles.

Take the six-pack holders and cut the rings apart to make four two-loop handles.

Tie a set of handles to the ends of each string.

Get at friend and you are ready to play. Each player holds onto two handles and pulls on the strings until they are tight. Slide the

zoom ball to one end. When it is at your end snap your hands apart to send the zoom ball back to your friend. To catch the

zoom ball, keep your hands together.

Explanation:

The pushing action of the strings sets the zoom ball in motion. When the zoom ball reaches the other end of the strings, an opposite pushing ac-

tion, this is your friend snapping the strings, stops the ball for a moment and then sends it in the reverse direction.

Mad Science, the world’s leading provider of educational and entertaining science programs for children is coming to Ross Public

School. Their mission is to spark the imagination and curiosity of children everywhere by providing them with fun, entertaining

and exciting activities that instil a clear understanding of what science is really all about and how it affects the world around them.

They use exciting activities and spectacular demonstrations to capture the attention and imagination of children as we found out

during our assembly.

Both the students and teachers will be thrilled on 08/Jan/2015 at 1:50 PM when Mad Science comes to the school to do a Spectacu-

lar Science show. The assembly will be educational, entertaining and also the kick off to the Mad Science Club. The Club is a 6-

week science enrichment program offered to the students.

Students who join the science club will go on a voyage of discovery designed to support the Ontario Science and Technology cur-

riculum. They will explore various topics in science including Chemical Mystery, Current Events, Fundamental Forces, Science of

Magic, Stunt Planes and Super Structures . The Club will take place on Wednesday Lunch, Jan 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, 25, Mar 4 from

1:00 PM - 1:40 PM.

For those of you who have been in the Mad Science Club before, this is a different club than last year with exciting experiments,

cool demonstrations and amazing take home activities.

Mad Science also performs Birthday Parties, Camps and Special Events. Give them a call at 905-937-1878 and watch out for them in Malls, at

Fairs, Festivals and Scouts and Guides.

www.niagara.madscience.org

TRY AT HOME ACTIVITY ZOOM BALL

Scissors

Two 1 litre plastic pop bottles

Masking tape

Optional: Coloured construction paper

Optional: Ribbons

Ribbons

Two 2.4 metre strings

Two plastic ring six pack holders

November Student Recognition Grade/Teacher Academic Integrity

ELP—Bolduc/Cohoe Mackenzie Taylor

Vincent Cupolo

ELP—North/Duffin Deven Simpson Shiloh Collin

Grade 1—McNeil Aaron Boyko Kayla Young

Grade 2—Bida-Sawyer Alannah McIntyre Haley Venne

Grade 3/4—Collins Kya Cowell Madeleine Sloan

Grade 4/5—Dickson/Trussell Dighlan Byers Jacob Thomas

SSP—Barker Thomas K.

Grade 6/7—Medwin Jackson McNeil Shayla Rowsell

Grade 7/8—Furtney Chloe Peters Jessica Acaster

Students return to class on Monday, January 5, 2015

Did you know???

Quinne Gordon won last month’s newsletter draw, she received 2 free slices of pizza. Congratulations!

Both of our intermediate volleyball teams had the opportunity to participate at the DSBN tournament, great

effort by both teams.

Holiday Raffle Baskets will be on display at Ross beginning Wednesday, December 10th to Friday, Decem-

ber 12th. Students may purchase raffle tickets before and after school as well as during first break. $2 per

sheet of tickets—25 tickets on each sheet. The baskets will be on display for families to purchase tickets

at our holiday concert on Monday, December 15h at Centennial High School at 6:30 PM.

Hope to see you there! Doors will open at 6:00 PM, general seating.

Our Junior Girls’ Volleyball team finished in first place and has qualified for the tournament.

Our whole school is invited to attend the Wizard of Oz performance at the Scotia Centre in Niagara Falls on

Friday, December 19th (AM). $15 per ticket, parents are welcome to join us, first-come, first-served.

Congratulations to Shannah Marr for being selected as a winner for the Director’s Holiday Card Contest.

Swiss Chalet Hot Lunch on December 18th, thanks to Mrs. Kelly for organizing this event.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

December Newsletter Draw

I have received and read this newsletter. Winner receives two slices of pizza on the next Pizza Day at Ross School.

Student’s Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Student’s Grade/Class:______________________________________________________________

Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________

Page 6 Page 9

School Advisory Council

A special thank you to council mem-

bers for wrapping the raffle bas-

kets, supporting our school and for

attending our meetings regularly.

New members are always welcome

to attend our monthly meetings.

Hope to see you there!

The SAC will be offering a Swiss

Chalet hot lunch this month on

Dec.18th. Thanks to Mrs. Kelly

for organizing this opportunity.

Next meeting:

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Ross Staff Room

Hope to see you there !

Candy Grams are back… Starting Monday, December 8th, and running until Friday, December 19th, stu-dents from the Grade 7/8 class will be selling candy grams for 50 cents each. These candy canes (they will be the larger ones) can be sent to a friend, or pur-chased for the individual student. Proceeds will be donated to the Free the Chil-dren holiday campaign which benefits children and families in Africa, as well as our end of the year trip to Camp Wahanowin. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Mr. Furtney and the Grade 7/8 Class

On Thursday December 18th, the Intermediate leadership team will be hosting

a screening of Disney’s Frozen in the school gymnasium. For $2.00 you can join

in on the fun and that will also include a bag of popcorn! Also, don’t forget to

wear your favourite winter/holiday sweater so that you are as comfy as possi-

ble! We hope that you all can participate in the Popcorn and a Movie/ Winter

Sweater spirit day! By Gillian Durfy (Grade 8)

HOLIDAY CONCERT

DATE: Monday, Dec. 15th

TIME: 6:30 PM

LOCATION: Centennial HS

Raffle baskets will be on sale during

the performance. Thank you for your

support and donations!

Doors open at 6:00 PM