GRADE 5 AND KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION PHOTOS Grade 5 graduation photos will take place at Rowntree on Tuesday, March 22nd. The Kindergarten graduation photos will take place on Wednesday, March 23rd. Parents who wish to purchase an 11 x 14 Graduating Class composite must return the order form on, or before, photo day. Individual Graduation Photo orders will be sent home following photo day.

Large composite photos of the Kindergarten and Grade 5 graduates will be permanently installed in the hallway, just off the main entrance, after their unveiling at the graduation ceremonies in June.

‘Bring your smile for your grad photos!’

SKI TRIP - MARCH 9, 2016 Our Gr. 4 & 5 students will once again experience learning how to ski on their 2nd and final ski trip on March 9th. What an experience! These students are being exposed to an ac-tivity that promotes the enjoyment of our Canadian winters. Once certified by an instructor that they are able to handle the green level hills, students will receive their green stripe. This stripe allows them to go up the ski lift and continue to work on the necessary skills of stance and balance, pivoting and pressure control. As a result of this field trip, students will have the skills and confidence to pursue skiing at their leisure. What an outstanding field trip experience for our students.

BREAKFAST PROGRAM A reminder that the breakfast program begins at 8:15 a.m.

Donations of 50 cents are always appreciated.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS HERE! Daylight Saving Time will arrive on Sunday, March 13th. Spring has officially arrived! Don’t forget. . . . . The clocks s-p-r-i-n-g forward on this weekend! Remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Hopefully the warm and sunny weather is coming our way!

Principal Mr. S. Mackie Vice-Principal: Ms. S. Johnson Vice-Principal: Mr. N. Gray Office Manager: Mrs. M. Hutchinson Office Assistants: Mrs. K. Yoshiki

Mrs. G. Erski

Rowntree P.S.

254 Queen Mary Drive, Brampton, Ontario L7A 3L6 Tel:(905) 840-4601 Peel District School Board

MARCH 2016

LOST AND FOUND The Lost and Found Box has many items. At the end of each month, the box will be emptied and placed in the hallway outside the office. Please ask your child to search for missing items, giving them a description of the article(s). At the end of each month, the materials will be gathered up and donated to a charity group. Parents are welcome to check the Lost and Found when you next visit the school.

GRADE 3 EQAO: PROVINCIAL TESTING The Province Wide testing of grade 3 students will take place May 30th through June 3rd, 2016. It is very important that these students be at school for the full day during this time. Please make every effort to avoid scheduling outside appointments or holidays on these dates.

PALS TREAT DAY The Grade 5 PALS programme is in full swing at Rowntree. The students are involved in a number of leadership responsibilities around the school. PAL jobs include Patrolling, Library, Kindergarten helpers, Computer Lab, Recess Hall Patrol, Lunchroom and Playground, Student Ambassadors. The PALS are a very important part of our school community and they work very hard. We look forward to celebrating their efforts with the special “PALS Treat Day” on March 29, 2016.

BASKETBALL EXTRAVAGANZA-MARCH MADNESS!!! Basketball Extravaganza will be held for the grade 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 students during the first week of March. Students will have an opportunity to showcase their good sportsmanship as well as their shooting skills. The top 6 winners will receive special certificates and their names will be announced on the P.A. system. Good luck to everyone!!!

CONFERENCE HELPS PARENTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN NUMERACY AND BEYOND

The Peel District School Board is hosting its annual parent conference on Saturday, April 2, 2016, at Rick Hansen Secondary School in Mississauga. Once again, the conference will focus on numeracy—26 out of 61 workshops help with math. Parents will still have the opportunity to attend workshops on other topics, including literacy, special education and science. This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels.

Registration closes March 18.

Stay up-to-date! For more information, look out for the conference flyer at your child's school or visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.

ENTRY TIME

Students are not to be on school property before 8:15 a.m., when staff go on duty.

LIBRARY NEWS

The Blue Spruce and Silver Birch book clubs are both running very smoothly and we are all enjoying these new Canadian children’s books. Look for these nominated books at your local bookstore or local library; just ask for the Forest of Reading display! Students who are participating will vote for their favourite book in April! Mrs. Plews needs volunteers to help shelve the books in the library. If you can spare some time to help, and are on the school’s volunteer list, please come for a visit!

School closed for PA Day on April 11, 2016 As a result of labour settlements with various federations and employee groups, the Ministry of Education has directed all school boards to create an additional Professional Activity Day this year and for each school year going forward. For the 2015-16 school year, the additional PA Day for the Peel District School Board will be April 11, 2016. All Peel board elementary and secondary schools will be closed to students on this day.

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE DURING THE SPRING THAW Now that winter's heavy snowfall has begun to melt away, it's important that children be aware of the dangers of playing near waterways and storm sewers. Rising and fast moving water in lakes, ponds and creeks is increasingly likely as temperatures continue to rise and the forecast of rain spurs on the spring thaw. The City of Brampton has provided the following information to help keep children safe: Toxic gases may be present in and around storm sewers and watercourses Access is restricted, making rescue attempts difficult Tragic falls could take place Water flows in storm sewers and watercourses are unpredictable and may change quickly Parents are encouraged to review this information with their children and let them know how dangerous storm sewers and waterways are. Please remind children to keep safe and stay away from all water.

SAFE ARRIVAL Please call if your child is absent from school. Our voice mail is available 24 hours.

905-840-4601 press ‘5’

March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre

Wednesday, March 16 to Saturday, March 19,

from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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 outstanding 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 celebrate 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/adult and $4/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.

Bus delays, cancellation information available on STOPR website At the Peel District School Board, we are committed to providing safe and efficient transportation services for our students to and from school every day. Transportation staff do their best to ensure that buses arrive and leave on time, but sometimes, delays hap-pen. Information about delays may not always be available through the school, especially if they happen outside of the school day. The best place for find information about bus delays and cancellations, as they happen, is the Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) website at www.stopr.ca. To find information specific to your child's bus, you will need the bus route number.

Celebrating Faith and Culture

March 2016

March Xsaak Aboriginal Spirituality

Sunset March 1 to 20 Alá (Fasting month) Bahá'í

March 4 World Day of Prayer Christianity

March 7 Mahashivratri Hinduism

March 13 or 24 Hola Mohalla Sikhism

March 14 Clean Monday (J) Christianity

March 14 New Year Sikhism

March 16 to 20 Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem Zoroastrianism

March 17 St. Patrick's Day Christianity

March 20 Shunki-sorei-sai Shinto

March 20 Palm Sunday Christianity

March 20 Lady Day (Ostara) Wicca

March 20 to 27 Holy Week begins Christianity

March 20 or 21 Naw Ruz Bahá'í and

Zoroastrianism

March 21 Eid e-Navroz Islam

March 22 or 23 Holi Hinduism

March 23 Sakyamuni Buddha’s Nirvana Day Buddhism

Eve of March 23 to 24 Purim Judaism

March 25 Good Friday (Holy Friday) Christianity

March 26 Khordad Saal Zoroastrianism

March 27 Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Birth-day

Buddhism

March 27 Easter or Pascha Christianity

March 28 Easter Monday Christianity

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY

April 11 PA Day (No School) April 12 Used Book Sale April 12 May Lunch letters go home April 12 Grade 1 Reading Celebration Open House April 19 May Lunch orders due April 22 Verse Speaking Assembly April 28 Student of the Month Assembly

Mrs. Alderman Ms. Mastromarco

Mrs. Boodhoo Mrs. Burton

Ms. Gilpin Ms. Cinapri

Ms. Hartley Ms. Sindhu

Mrs. Kornblum Mrs. Watson

Mrs. Laidlaw Ms. Freire

Ms. Mayer Ms. Beltran

Sahara Jaelyn Hannibal

Nilesh Jasmit Devin Vedanti

Madelaine Yasleen Muskaan

Dilshan Adam Zayd

Izabella Bareeha Karan Gurnoor

Daniyal Aariyan Ayaan

Elijah Fardeen Jaideep

Ms. Sandhu Mrs. Kadmuir

Mrs. Stinson Ms. Abbott-Hill

Mrs. Atkison Mrs. Cadeau Mrs. Paul Mrs. Elder Ms. Ward-Billingham

Jayden Aaron Kalea

Anreet Keerat Dua

Julina Tracy

Sanjana Antoine Ajekshan

Leon Eshal

Laila Aaliyah

Muaaz Gurleen

Mlle McGurrin Mrs. McLaughlin Mrs. Medd Mrs. Redpath Ms. Kristensen Ms. Ramasawmy Mrs. Jackson-Lloyd

Danial Allen Dillon

Rhea Maheen

Hunusma Taha

Anshvir Terrance

Prithvi Ranvir

Tyler Jia

Mrs. Bennett Mrs. Traverso

Mr. Mezei Mrs. O’Hanlon Mrs. Vidad Ms. Sandilands

Mr. Belliveau Mme Woroniuk Mrs. Parmar

Aayan Kamora

Averie Ananya

Sukhman Ahzuon

Jia Ravjot

Manvir Shawib Kaylah

Komalpreet Joseph

Amitoj Akshayah

Mr. Carr Mr. Fink Ms. Kergan Mrs. Mathur Ms. Nelson Ms. Burnett Mlle Riccardi

Jaida Thyarahan

Akshaya Alimat Ashhal

Kabilash Sneha

Talia Anas Malaika

George Perneet

Balram Janae

Jonathan Aveiah

Mr. Morton Mrs.Ramsaha Mrs. Mangat Ms. Waite Art Computers French

Carl Ramanjit Rory

Arpitha Sofiyah Siara Aabha

Chrishel Royem

Mehak Alim Nathaniel

Mehak Kajal

Divyata Trevon

Kabilash Ayana

Phys Ed,

Angel Nipuna