Wes Hahn

Superintendent

905-641-1550

Pam Spero

Principal

905-734-3730

Greg Watson

Vice-Principal

905-734-3730

Sue Barnett

Trustee

905-734-7116

GORDON PUBLIC SCHOOL, 468 Thorold Road West, Welland, ON L3C 3W6 October 2013

It is hard to believe that one month of school has already gone by. The team at Gordon would like to thank the parents, the community and the students for being part of a very successful reorganization during our start up to the school year. We look forward to the learning and growing we are all going to be part of throughout the school year. Every newsletter we are going to be committed to providing parents with information, strategies and/or suggestions to help contribute to us collectively improving our student’s achievement and thinking. On the Oct. 11th PA Day, the Gordon staff will be reviewing assessment data to identify program strengths and strug-gles and to plan for classroom instruction based on the information and data gathered. Once our school direction and goals have been established we will share them with students, parents and the community in the November newsletter insert. The Gordon team will continue to promote our motto of respect and responsibility throughout the school year.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Problem-based Mathematics Instruction

Gallery Walk, Bansho and Congress Problem-based instruction provides a context that grounds ab-stract mathematics. It allows students to engage in mathematical reasoning and critical thinking that leads to questions and under-standing of important and foundational mathematical ideas. Prior to working on a mathematical problem, students are en-gaged in a short activity that leads mathematically to the prob-lem. During problem- based mathematical instruction, students solve mathematical problems, often with a classmate or group of students. The solution illustrates what students know and under-stand. The teacher will encourage students to explore, notice patterns, develop efficient strategies, and generalize mathemati-cal ideas. New learning is acquired as students view, discuss, make connections, and see mathematical relationships in the so-lutions that are presented.

During a gallery walk, students look at the solutions of their peers. This may include asking and answering questions or writing comments and/or questions. Bansho comes from the Japanese lesson study. It means board writing. A math congress comes from research of Cathy Fosnot. In both instructional strategies, student work forms the foundation for mathematical learning. Students explain their mathematical ideas to the mathematical community and justify and defend their thinking. Students see themselves as part of a mathematical community in which all thinking is both honoured and productive.

RESOURCE Does your student struggle with their math homework at times? Would they benefit from free math tutoring provided by certified Ontario teachers? Online math homework help is avail-able for all Grade 7‐10 math students. Registered students can log in at http://homeworkhelp.ilc.org from Sunday to Thursday, 5:30‐9:30 p.m. for 20 hours a week for one‐on‐one confidential tutoring, all within the comfort of their own home. Contact your student’s teacher to register. There are already over 3,100 stu‐dents registered, many of whom are accessing the free tutoring service to support their efforts to successfully complete their math assignments and support their learning.

Thank you to everyone who par-ticipated in our magazine fund-raiser. It was a great success!

Soccer Teams

Girls Intermediate Soccer A big congratulations goes out to the Int. Girls Soccer team. After overtime and a shoot out in the champion-ship game, the girls placed second. The girls displayed great sportsmanship and made our school proud! Mrs. T. Gaspich

This year the Gordon Cross Country team was almost 40 members strong! Thank you to all the dedi-cated runners who trained early in the morning 3 times a week. Your

efforts and positive attitudes demonstrated what true athletes are made of. Thank you also to our wonderful parent drivers. Without you we would not have been able to attend the meets. All the runners represented the Gordon School Community with pride. Congratulations to all runners advancing to the DSBN finals! Mrs. Sodtke & Mrs. Timlock

Cross Country

Friday, October 11th is a Professional Activity Day and there will be no school for students. Gordon School Staff will be examining our Grade 3 and Grade 6 EQAO scores and developing our school goals.

Professional Activity Day

Magazine Campaign

Did you know a detailed Gordon School calendar is also posted on our website? Please re-visit the calendar throughout the month as it can get edited as events get added or changed!

October Calendar

Please note that a crossing guard will be present 30 min-utes before entry bell and 30 minutes after dismissal. Our crossing guard at Clare and Thorold wishes to remind students and parents to be patient, and wait for his instructions before crossing this very busy intersection. In addition to looking to the right, then the left and again to the right, he advises that you always check your 6 o’clock – which means to check behind you before crossing. Parents please take the time to talk to your chil-dren who may periodically go out at lunch. We want to make sure that all children are being re-sponsible when crossing the street. These stu-dents are asked to utilize the crossing guard at this time as well, for their own safety.

Crossing Guards

If your welcome back package did not contain a blue and white student insurance form, and you wish to purchase insurance for your child/ren, please let us know. We have forms available in the office. Coverage is available for as little as $3.50 per student for the year.

Student Insurance Forms

The Boy’sTeam:

Mackenzie J. Connor C. Anson W. Jacob B. Keegan M.

Hunter C. Eric W. Connor B. Justin Z. Jorden B. Josiah C.

Boys Intermediate Soccer

On Tuesday, September 17th, the Intermediate Boys

Soccer team played in a tournament at the Welland

Soccer Club. The team was successful and showed

improvement throughout the day. Gordon lost in a

nailbiter match during the consolation championship

2-1. Mr. Charles would like to thank the team for a

good display of behavior and character. Also, he

would like to extend his thanks to all supportive par-

ents who helped in transporting the team to and from

the tournament.

The Girl’s Team:

Tara A. Kennedy S. Kirstyn A. Olivia H. Catharine W. Mackenzie C.

Samantha D. Kaitlynn M. Caitlin M. Sydney L. Kristie M. Hannah T. Abi L.

Teachers will be sending home specific directions re-

garding plans for their divisions but you should be aware that Halloween activities for all students will not

commence until after the second break (1:40 p.m.), at which time they are welcomed to dress in appropriate

costumes – those with a non-violent theme and which still meet the school dress code. Please do not come

to school in costumes. If necessary, props and accesso-

ries may be left at the office until needed. Please iden-tify such items with your child/ren’s name. Weather

permitting, students will have a parade of costumes out to Clare Ave. across Greystone to Bridlewood Avenue,

then back down the pathway to the school. Alterna-

tively, we will hold the parade through the school.

Students not taking part in these activities will have an opportunity to participate in an alternative program.

Activities will include computers, the Arts and/or Physical Education.

FDK Schedule: Only Kindergarten students are asked to arrive at school dressed in their costume.

At 9:00am, the children will present a few short songs/poems. Then, we will go on parade to visit the Grade 1

-8 classes. Parents are invited to join us for the songs and the parade which will take approximately 30 min-

utes . After the parade, we will say goodbye to the par-

ents and return to the classrooms for games, activities and a special snack."

Halloween Safety: Children under nine years of age should go out

with an adult or responsible older child.

Be sure your child stops at all curbs, looks left, right and left again to check for traffic. Remind children to cross at crosswalks, street corners or intersections. It is important they walk on the sidewalk, or walk facing the traffic if there is no sidewalk.

Bright coloured costumes make your child easier to see. You can use reflective tape on a costume to make your child more visible. Face paint instead of a mask helps them to see well. Have your child carry a flashlight.

When they get home, check all of their treats carefully. Throw out any treats that aren’t wrapped, if the wrapping is torn or loose, or if the wrapper has a hole. Remember that small treats can cause your child to choke.

You might want to offer an alternative to sugar based treats. Stickers or multicoloured pencils can be a nice surprise in place of, or in addition to, traditional treats.

Halloween at Gordon

October is here and Pizza Day is back at Gordon School. We will be ordering from Little Caesars once

again. Little Caesars’ program is designed to embody the principles of healthy eating and ensures that their

pizza contributes to student’s healthy growth and

development.

Our first pizza day is this coming Friday

October 4th. Order forms should have been returned by Friday, September 27th.

**Please note that future order forms will only be available on-line, for your

convenience at http://gordon.dsbn.org.

Little Caesars is hosting a Gordon Pizza Fundraising

Night in which 10% of all pizza sales come back to Gordon School. Gordon’s Pizza Fundraising Night is

booked for Tuesday, October 15th!! Take a break from all that turkey and have some pizza!!

When you order pizza from Little Caesars on Niagara

St., 10% of all sales will be donated back to our school!! Pamphlets will be sent home before this date

reminding you of this fundraiser. Please encourage your friends and family to order pizza from Little Cae-

sars that night to help support the Grizzlies!!

Pizza Days

We invite and encourage all of our parents to come and

be a part of our School Community Council. Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd at

6:30pm. Gordon School Community Council is seeking

nominations for the positions of Chairperson, Vice-Chair,

Secretary and Treasurer. Please see the following page to read job responsibilities for

each of these positions. Elections will be held at the October 22nd

meeting, beginning at 6:30pm. Nominations forms can be

downloaded from our website.

Gordon School Community Council

Milk orders for October have already been submitted. Future milk order

forms will be available only on-line, for your convenience. Simply go to

our schools webpage

http://gordon.dsbn.org. Our next milk order will be due

October 25th.

Milk Orders

Chairperson The chairperson shall:

Call meetings Prepare the agenda for Council meetings in consultation with the principal and input from the

Council members Chair the meetings and, if he/she cannot attend, arrange for the Vice-chair to preside at the

meeting Ensure that the minutes of each meeting are recorded and filed with any changes Participate in training sessions Communicate with the principal, senior board staff and trustees, as required Aid in co-operative decision making Be responsible for dealing with missed meetings of a Council member and the possibility of

loss of membership Attend at least one (1) meeting per year of another local school council

The chairperson may serve as an ex-officio member of the Council when his/her term expires. The chairperson may serve as an ex-officio member of any subcommittee.

Vice-Chairperson The Vice-Chairperson shall:

Act as Chairperson in the chairperson’s absence Chair at least one meeting during his/her term and be responsible for that meeting’s agenda.

Secretary The Secretary shall:

Keep a full and accurate account of the proceedings and transactions of council meetings Provide to the principal and all council members a copy of the complete minutes of the meet-

ing no later than one (1) week prior to the next council meeting Maintain a council file in the school’s administration office containing copies of all minutes,

council correspondence, current by-laws, current reports Maintain a list of the Council membership with current telephone numbers; and Maintain attendance records.

Treasurer The Treasurer shall:

Keep an accurate account of the fund raising money raised through the fund raising sub-committee

Be one of two signing officers for the bank account called “Gordon School Fund Raising”, the other signer shall be a member of council who is on the fund raising sub-committee

Give a report at the Council meetings of the fund raising monies Be an ex-officio of the fund raising sub-committee and/or a member of the fund raising sub-

committee

How Long Must My Child Stay Home When Sick?

Please keep your child at home and away from others if he or she has any of these

symptoms:

Fever

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Rash

Frequent coughing or sneezing

Yellow or green discharge from the nose, ears, or eyes

Sore throat

Contact your family doctor for a diagnosis. Your doctor will advise you about care and treatment if

a communicable disease is diagnosed. For more information, please contact the Infectious Disease

Program at 905-688-8248 ext. 7330 or 1-888-505-6074 or www.niagararegion.ca

Gordon School 2012-2013 Grade 3 & 6 EQAO results

For a detailed summary of our results, please go to the EQAU website at : www.EQAO.com.

The Elementary Progress Report

On October 29, your child will bring home their Elementary Progress Report. The format was created after years of consultation with parents, teachers, principals, and students across the province. Although it looks much like the Report Card, this report has a very different intent. The purpose of the Progress Report is to share early and specific feedback on your child's development of work habits and learning skills as well as his/her progress towards achieving the curriculum standards by the end of the school year. Traditionally, when reporting to parents about their child’s progress, teachers have prepared by looking back over the work done. The teacher evaluated your child’s progress from the begin-ning of the school term to the current point in time, and reported on the highlights of achieve-ment as they compare to overall curricular expectations. Teachers continue to report on Provincial Term One and Term Two Report Cards in this manner. Reporting on the Progress Report is about looking forward. The purpose is to set the course for the learning jour-ney ahead. Based on the evidence teachers see, as well as what teachers know about learning at this grade

level, the report communicates the path your child is on towards achieving the grade level expec-tations by the end of the year. For students who are on a modified Individual Education Program, the teacher uses those modified goals when determining whether a child is progressing well, pro-gressing very well, or progressing with difficulty.

All subjects that are part of your child’s program in the first weeks of school will be assessed according to the following indicators: Progressing Very Well: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is demonstrating consis-tent progress and is on track to meet and/or surpass the provincial standard set for the end of the year. Progressing Well: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is demonstrating consistent pro-gress and is on track to meet the provincial standard set for the end of the year. Progressing With Difficulty: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is experiencing diffi-culty towards meeting the provincial standard set for the end of the year. For subjects in which your child is Progressing With Difficulty, the teacher will discuss specific next steps plans

needed for success. We look forward to partnering with you and your child for a year of great learning and

growth.

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER DRAW

Fill in the answers to the following “skill-testing” questions, then hand into your teacher who will ensure

it is placed in the draw for a prize.

When is the PD day in October?:

_____________________________________________________________________

Name(s):____________________________________________________________________________

Newsletter Questions and Answers

Do you have any questions about the school or curriculum that you would like to see answered in our newsletter? If

so, send it in with the newsletter draw form and we will do our best to provide the answer in next month’s edition.