Mountain Ash Public SchoolMAY 2018

Principal’s Message

Having just come off an event filled Education Week, where we had many activities and events for our students and families, I am feeling so proud of what our students have accomplished with the great work by our dedicated staff. So many inspiring acts at the Talent show that showcased student voice. Many displays around the school signifying the collaboration by each class, and a spring clean to cap it all off!

Some more great news for our students and family, we have recently been chosen as a site within the Peel Board where we will have an outdoor learning environment created! 110 applications were sent in and we were one of the 26 sites selected for this project. A big thank you to our Kindergarten team for taking the lead on this, and the support from other staff as well as student and parent voice. I know how hard we all worked on this proposal and we are so thankful that our collective efforts have paid off as this will be a great learning space for our Kindergarten students and beyond!

This month we look forward to a busy May as we celebrate and learn more about Asian Heritage. We have many wonderful opportunities for our students and we know they will be well received. I would also like to wish luck to all of our grade 3 and 6 students who will be writing the EQAO provincial testing towards the end of this month.

May's forecast looks great - so encourage your kids to get outside and have fun!

Sincerely,

Mr. C. Cooper

 Principal:Craig Cooper

 Vice Principal:Brian Rasmusson

 Superintendent:Pat Noble

2018

Stay connected by following us @MountainashPS

Pizza Days at Mountain Ash!Pizza days will occur on Thursdays, May 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st and June 7th, 2018.

Pizza has to be pre-ordered by students. Students cannot purchase slices at school. Pizza will arrive for consumption during second nutrition break,

so please pack snacks and drinks for your child that day.

NEW and IMPROVED PAYMENT METHOD(See page 3 on how to use SchoolCashOnline)

Please pay for pizza using your computer or smartphone through School Cash Online, a safe and secure form of online payment. Register or login at https://peelschools.schoolcashonline.com, and pay using an eCheck, Visa or MasterCard. This is now the preferred method of payment for all school fees at our school. The deadline for payment of pizza is Friday, May, 3rd, 2018.

Celebrations / Special OccasionsThere seems to be some confusion as to our school policy regarding parents bringing in food for birthdays or other celebrations.

While we appreciate the offer to celebrate a students’ birthdays (or anything else) by bringing in food for the whole class, we politely decline the offer and suggest that if parent's feel the need to celebrate that you can send in material items such as pencils, erasers etc.. As an alternative, you can make a donation to the library and Mrs. Temple, our librarian, will be more than happy to purchase a book and put a label inside saying who donated the book and what it was to celebrate. The student can be the first to take the book out. Again, we need to be consistent in following the process of not sending food to school for students other than your own children.

Thank you for your understanding.

Pay school fees online—register today!

For safety and efficiency reasons, Peel District School Board would like to reduce the amount of cash & checks coming into our school. Please join the thousands of parents who have already registered and are enjoying the convenience of paying ONLINE! It takes less than 5 minutes to register. Please follow these step-by-step instructions, so you will begin to receive email notifications regarding upcoming events involving your child(ren).NOTE: If you require assistance, select the SUPPORT option in the top right hand corner of the screen:

Step 1: Register a) If you have not registered, please go to the School Cash Online home page: https://peelschools.schoolcashonline.com/ and select the “Get Started Today” option. b) Complete each of the three Registration Steps For Security Reasons your password, requires 8 characters, One uppercase letter, one lowercase letter and a number. Step 2: Confirmation Email A registration confirmation email will be forwarded to you. Click on the link provided inside the email to confirm your email and School Cash Online account.

The confirmation link will open the School Cash Online site prompting you to sign into your account. Use your email address and password just created with your account. If the link does not work, copy the link and paste it into your web browser.

Step 3: Find Student This step will connect your children to your account. a) Enter the School Board Name b) Enter the School Name c) Enter Your Child’s Name & Birth Date d) Select Continue e) On the next page confirm that you are related to the child, check in the Agree box and select Continue f) Your child has been added to your account Note: you may be required to enter your child’s student number. Step 4: View Items or Add Another Student If you have more children, select “Add Another Student” and repeat the steps above. 8 children can be added to one parent account. If you do not wish to add additional children, select “View Items For Students” option. A listing of available items for purchase will be displayed.

Support is available at 1-866-961-1803 or email parenthelp@schoolcashonline.com

Mountain Ash 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 are the Asian Heritage Month events happening at Mountain Ash Public School:

We will kick off Asian Heritage Month with a chalked Rangoli design in front of our main entrance and with daily announcements with our morning announcements, which be fun facts and information about historical events/people.

Nutrition Break Activities - We have organized different activities for students to participate (if they wish). These activities are Henna, Origami, Bhangara Dance Lessons, Chopsticks 101. Here is the schedule for these.

There will be a Kahoot Game prepared by Grade 2 students. Students will be introduced to various Asian Dances e.g. Rasputin – Russia, Us under the sunshine- China and Oishii-Oishii- Japan.

Front Hall Showcase – We will be using the display cases in the front hall by the office to make an Asian Heritage Showcase.

May 16- June 16, 2018 – During nutrition breaks there will be a quiet area for students observing Ramadan to go to.

Cultural Dress Day is on May 18th, 2018 and students are encouraged to wear clothing of either their own culture or someone else's.

Student trustees elected for 2018-19 school year

Laura Oris-Naidenova and Amanpreet Chonkrian have been elected as student trustees for the 2018-19 school year. The results were announced at the Regular Meeting of the Board on April 24.

Laura Oris-Naidenova, from Clarkson Secondary School, will represent schools south of Highway 401, and Amanpreet Chonkrian, from Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School, will represent schools north of Highway 401. The student trustee elections were held on April 17 and 18.

Student trustees serve an important role by representing students in decisions about education in Peel, and keeping students informed about important decisions that affect them. For more information about student trustees and their responsibilities, visit www.peelschools.org/students/studenttrustees.

SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETINGSThe final School Council meeting is to be held on Thursday, June 7th, 2018 from 6:00 -7:00 p.m.

STUDENT COUNCILPopcorn Sales - $2.00Student Council will sell popcorn every Wednesday and Friday in the Lower Atrium – Room 115 – during 2nd Nutrition Break throughout the school year as part of our fundraising. We have many delicious flavours such as Butter Salt, White Cheddar, Kettle corn, Low fat Caramel, Dill Pickle, Jalapeno Jack and Ketchup. The cost is $2.00.

Online parent portal to access important student information

The Peel District School Board is excited to announce the launch of ParentConnect, an online parent portal to access important student information. The pilot program was introduced at select schools and phased in to all Peel schools on Feb. 23, 2018.

What is ParentConnect? ParentConnect is a safe and secure website, created by the Peel District School Board, that acts as a single point to stay informed and to access all electronic services provided to Peel board parents and legal guardians. The parent-friendly website will allow you to:

view school-based alerts and information access real time absence reporting view current and historic elementary report card information get up-to-date busing information review secondary school credit history and diploma status and more

To learn more about the benefits of ParentConnect, visit our school website or www.peelschools.org/parentconnect

SCHOOL SETTLEMENT WORKER CONTACT INFORMATIONPlease welcome Kaukab Farooq as our new settlement worker for Mountain Ash.Cell Number: 647-302-1673Email: kaukab.farooq@bmccentre.orgSchool service days: Thursday from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm

MOUNTAIN ASH MOMENTS:

Mountain Ash staff emphasizing the importance of the message projected in “Day of Pink” as being one of tolerance, acceptance, empathy and integration for one and all.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - From our librarian

Our Scholastic Book Fair was a great success as it offered our students an excellent source of all kinds of interesting books with a view to become better speakers, writers, listeners and an excellent way to help build a child’s love of reading.

Our librarian shares that reading books allows us to be more curious as we experience other people’s worlds and ideas! As we build new vocabulary through reading and talking about our adventures, we become more confident and literate, which will allow us to be more successful not only in school, but life!

Books were reasonably priced and are a great way to start your child’s very own library, or to help it grow!

It was also a win-win opportunity for parents to purchase a book to donate to the classroom and participate in a draw for a chance to win $25 in books for their child and $25 for their classroom!

Mme. Temple

GRANDPARENT’S TEA : Mountain Ash hosted its first Grandparents tea / French Cafe , during Education Week. Grandparents joined us for tea, tasty French treats and learned a little French.

INFORMATION FOR OUR MOUNTAIN ASH FAMILIES

For the month of Ramadan:

From May 16 to June 15, students and staff who are observing Ramadan, are welcome to spend the nutrition breaks in room 102. Here, students will find a quiet place with some tables and chairs set up so they can: catch up on missed work or homework, read, relax, pray, play games or other quiet activities. Students are also encouraged to make posters or other media presentations that are related to Ramadan. This information will be placed in room 102 and added to the digital display in the front hallway, where possible, so that all students can see the work that is produced for Ramadan.

Changes coming to elementary SafeArrival system on May 14, 2018

As you know, the Peel District School Board implemented SafeArrival, an automated absence reporting system for all students in its elementary schools in September 2016. Recently, the service provider for our system was sold to a new company and so, beginning May 14, 2018, there will be some slight changes on how you will report your child’s absence from school.

All families must set up a new SafeArrival account beginning May 1, 2018. The new system will be “live” as of Monday, May 14, 2018 so please ensure your new account has been created by then. Please note: the new SafeArrival system CANNOT be used before May 14 to report any school absences. You must use our current SafeArrival system until Friday, May 11, 2018. The phone number will remain the same, only the App and website will change.Use one of the following methods to set-up your new SafeArrival account. Please ensure the number and email address that you are using to report your child’s absences are those that we have on file.

SchoolMessenger app (free from Apple or Google Play)1. Download the SchoolMessenger app2. Tap Sign Up to create your account

Web and Mobile Web: go.schoolmessenger.com1. Go to the above website2. Click Sign Up to create your account

Interactive Toll-free Phone1. Call the toll-free number: 1-855-209-61552. Listen to and follow the instructions to report an absence

As always, please report your child’s absences before the start of the school day. Late arrivals and/or early departures should be reported as soon as possible. If your child’s absence is not reported in advance, the automated notification system will contact you to inform you of the absence and will provide an opportunity to verify the absence. By reporting your child absent in advance on the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or SchoolMessenger mobile app, you will not receive a call.

What is an IEP?Education is full of acronyms and IEP is one of many that a parent/guardian of a child receiving special education support will encounter. An IEP is an Individual Education Plan. Developed at the beginning of the school year, it lays out the accommodations and modifications to the regular curriculum that help your child learn and be successful. No formal identification is needed but you, the parent/guardian should be involved in the development as you provide valuable input. It can be overwhelming so there are pamphlets, webpages, and Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) representatives who can help you understand and make informed contributions.

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. Let's thank the professionals who help our children with their speech and language challenges. For more information, please visit www.peelschools.org/parents/specialed/iep

May 1 – Parents begin to set-up new SchoolMessenger accounts

May 11 – Last day to use current SafeArrival App or pdsb.schoolconnects.com

May 14 – Use new SchoolMessenger App or go.schoolmesenger.comPhone number will remain the same.

A new way to ‘Share the Smile’

In every Peel school and worksite, there are endless inspiring stories just waiting to be told. To help share the smile, the Peel board will launch a new website on April 30 to showcase these amazing #PeelFam stories, people and creations.

Visit www.sharethesmile.ca to view some of the stories, people and creations we’ve featured so far. We encourage students, staff, parents and the community to share the stories happening in their school community. In the top right corner, you share by clicking ‘Share Your Story’.

Mental Health Minute Activity

For Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s try a Mental Health Minute Activity.

Grateful seeing - Look FIRST for what’s good and working for us in life. Ask your child to share one (or two) good things about their day. Make sure you share what’s good about your day too!

“We’re going for a walk!” - Exercise relieves anxiety for up to several hours as it burns excess energy, loosens tense muscles and boosts mood. If your child can’t take a walk right now, have them run in place, bounce on a yoga ball, jump rope or stretch.

Three hugs, three big breaths - Hug your child and take 3 deep belly breaths together. Share a smile and move on with your day. This is a quick way to pause, connect and be in the moment together.

Experiment! - Together with your child you might: try a new recipe, write a poem, paint something, or play a new game. Creative expression and well-being are linked.

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 14 to 18, 2018. Peel students and staff will show their appreciation for the tremendous job being done by police to protect schools, homes and communities. Police Appreciation Week coincides with National Police Week. National Police Week pays tribute to the work of police officers across Canada.

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 enhancing public safety and security.

Using social media safely

With the growing number of social media sites, it is no surprise that social media is the most common form of communication for children and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads; tweets and texts have become a regular part of their lives. While there are many positive benefits to using social media, including staying connected with friends and expressing your interests, students must be cautious in their use of these networks.

Among the most popular social media platforms used are Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and Whatsapp Messenger. Many of these platforms are free and are available on smartphones and other electronic devices. These platforms are easy to navigate and often allow information to be shared instantly, not only with friends, but with strangers. On social media, it is important to remember that the world is watching.

Here are some tips, provided by the Canadian Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to keep your children safe and help them make smart choices when using social media:

Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the way they use it or the settings.

Have a conversation about what is appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge repercussions that could damage their reputation and be harmful to others.

Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they come across something they find worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.

Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments, photos and videos all form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available on the internet forever, even if it is subsequently deleted.

Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection, and that they shouldn’t do anything online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Users should only accept people they know in order to protect themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using social networking sites to commit crimes.

Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually ‘talking’ to online, even if they think they do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text with strangers, and it’s never okay to meet a stranger in the real world.

Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn how privacy settings work on your children’s favourite sites, and teach them how to control their privacy.

Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes, but is not limited to, his or her full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance number, credit card information and parents’ full names.

Limit the amount of time that your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the importance of healthy and appropriate use of technology.

Summer School 2018

Secondary School full credit and 55-hour session classes will be offered at 12 high schools throughout the Board this summer. Peel eLearning-Summer classes, two-credit Co-operative Education, ESL and Summer Study/Travel programs are also available.

Please visit www.peelschools.org/summerschool for more details.

Register today for Adult ESL or LINC classes

Do you know an adult that is interested in improving their English language skills for work, study or daily life?

Through the Continuing & Adult Education department, the Peel District School Board offers a wide variety of English language classes that help parents experience success in Canadian English in both listening/speaking and reading/writing. Courses are designed for a range of basic, intermediate and advanced English (Levels 1 to 8) as well as the more experienced learner needing to prepare for an IELTS exam.

Classes are ongoing - Register anytime.

All learners that complete a session will earn a certificate of learning from the Peel District School Board.

Classes operate from six locations in Brampton and Mississauga with three specially designed adult centres at:

Bramalea - Adult Education Centre - 25 Kings Cross Road, Unit 3 Brampton - Adult Education Centre - #300 - 7700 Hurontario Street Mississauga - Adult Education Centre - 100 Elm Drive West, Room 117

To learn more or to register, call 905-270-6000, then press 2

Also visit www.peelschools.org/adulteducation or follow us on Twitter: @PDSBLearnESL

We Welcome the World CentresThe Peel District School Board’s We Welcome the World Centres located in Brampton, Malton and Mississauga, are the first point of contact for all newcomer families to become familiar with the educational system in Peel. The centres are open all year—including the summer months— from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition to providing literacy and numeracy assessments, the We Welcome the World Centres provide newcomers with a host of services including: reception, orientation, interpretation and referrals.

At each centre, parents/guardians and students will discover:• settlement service information• age and grade appropriate educational and related program resources• information about various community supports • translation of materials to support the reception and assessment process• computer portals— providing information on Peel resources

For more information about the We Welcome the World Centre and the services they provide, call 905-366-8791.

Celebrating Faith and Culture: April 2018DATE CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTUREMay Yansa'altt and Flower Moon Aboriginal SpiritualityMay 1 Beltane WiccaMay 1 Nisfu Sha’ban IslamMay 2 12th Day of Ridvan Bahá'íMay 10 or 17 (J) Ascension ChristianityMay 16 or 17 Ramadan IslamMay 17 to June 4 the month of 'Azamat Bahá'íEve of May 19 to 20 Shavuot JudaismMay 20 or 27 (J) Pentecost ChristianityMay 21 Victoria Day CanadaMay 22 or 29 Sakyamuni Buddha’s Birthday BuddhismMay 22 to 25 Aboriginal Week Aboriginal SpiritualityEve of May 23 to 24 Declaration of the Báb Bahá'íMay 24 Zarathosht-no-Diso ZoroastrianismEve of May 28 to May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Bahá'íMay 29 Wesak Day/Buddha Day Buddhism

May 2018 Attendance Line: 1-855-209-6155

Sunday

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1

2 Popcorn Sales

Hackergals Hackathon

3 Pizza Day 4 Popcorn Sales

Gr 4: Medieval Brass Workshop

Star Wars

5

6 7

Gr 7- Young Engineering Minds

8 Gr1. Kortright

Centre

Gr 7- Young Engineering Minds

9 Popcorn Sales 10 Pizza Day 11 Popcorn Sales

Welcoming next year’s Grade 6 FI students 11:30 –

12

13 14 15

Sr. Boys Flag Football

Wear Denim Day For Cancer

16 Popcorn Sales

Harbourfront centre Trip-Festival of trees

Sr. Girls Flag Football

17 Pizza DayHarbourfront centre Trip-Festival of trees

Gr 4. :Bricks 4 Kids Workshop

Gr. 4 :Pulleys and Gear

18 Popcorn Sales

9-10 GLD Open House

Culture Day

19

20 21 22 23 Popcorn Sales

EQAO Grade 3 & 6

24 Pizza DayEQAO Grade 3 & 69:00 a.m.: ASD Open House

25 Popcorn Sales

EQAO Grade 3 & 6

26

27 28EQAO Grade 3 & 6

29EQAO Grade 3 & 6

30 Popcorn Sales

EQAO Grade 3 & 6

31 Pizza Day FDK Family Discovery NightStart with a Smile 6-7pm (For new Kindergarten students)

June 1

Popcorn Sales

June 2

From 16th May, 2018 to 14th June, 2018 – The holy time of Ramadan.Room 102 will be provided as a quiet space for those observing Ramadan.