Minto-Clifford Public School October 2017 Newsletter R.R. #1, Harriston, ON N0G 1Z0 Ph. # 519-338-2920 www.ugdsb.ca/minto Twitter @MintoStorm

Principal:Tracey Kuchma Vice Principal: Mark Turner Office Coordinator: Michele Aitken

Happy October! We have had a great start to our school year. Many activities have already started here at Minto-Clifford. Thank you to all the parents and guardians who visited the school on our raining meet the the teacher night. Our annual Terry Fox Run was held on Thursday, September 28th. Junior and Intermediate soccer and cross-country teams have been practicing for tournaments/meets. Our first Pride Assembly for the school year gave us the opportunity to highlight ‘Compassion.’ Our entire school demonstrated compassion as we participated in the Terry Fox run and other activities related to raising funds and awareness to Cancer Research. Congratulations to our school community for raising over $2700!!! Way to go, Minto Storm! We look forward to the learning and excitement that October will bring. Student Information Sheets Please make sure you have returned all information sheets that were sent home the first week of school. The information which we have on file is very important and needs to be accurate and current. Any remaining forms should be brought directly to the office. Thank you. If your personal information changes during the school year, please call our office co-ordinator, Mrs. Aitken, at 519-338-2920 and she will put that change into our database immediately.

ABOUT PA DAYS October 27, November 24, January 26, April 27, June 8 and June 29 are ministry mandated PA Days. This means students will not be at school on these dates. School Council The first meeting was on Tuesday, September 26th. The next meeting will be held in November in our Library. Our executive was elected and priorities and directions were set for this school year. Parents are always welcome to attend the meetings and learn about the Council’s work. Our next meeting will be at 5:30 on Tuesday, November 21st. Inclement Weather Procedures We are located in North Wellington. Division 3 Pink Card. At different times during the year, dense fog, icy roads, or snowy weather may result in the cancellation of school buses. The announcement will be broadcast over radio stations CKNX (FM 102 Wingham), CHYM (96.7

Kitchener or 570 News), Magic (106.1 Guelph) and CJOY (1460 Guelph). Our school is open, even if buses do not run. It is up to the parent/guardian if it is safe to drive your child(ren) into school on a no-bus day. Please note, if the buses are cancelled in the morning, you will need to make arrangements for picking up your child at the end of the day. A number of staff members drive in from a distance, even when the weather is bad and buses are cancelled. To ensure that staff and students are able to make it home safely during daylight hours, our school day ends at 3pm. Please arrange to have your child(ren) picked up by 3:00 p.m. on no-bus days. School Photos Please note that individual and class photos will be taken on Thursday, October 12th. This will take most of the day. Forms will soon be sent home

Participate in International Walk to School Day on October 4th 2017! In October we celebrate active travel by encouraging students to walk or bike between home and school. Walking or cycling to school gets kids outside every day actively enjoying their natural environment. They arrive at school better able to concentrate and learn. “In the 2015 ParticipACTION Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, the overall grade for Canadian children and youth remains at a D- for the third year in a row. Overall, only 9% of 5-17 year olds are getting the 60 minutes of heart-pumping activity they need each day. And sadly, the grade for Active Transportation remains a D, with only 24% of 5-17 year olds walking/wheeling to school and 62% being driven by parents or caregivers. Our tendency to constantly watch over them or keep them indoors to ensure they are safe from risk limits their opportunities for physical activity, endangering their long-term health.” http://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/

4 ways that walking, biking or rolling can benefit kids

by Katherine Martinko

· Walking is known to improve academic performance. Children that have had some outside time in the morning arrive brighter and more alert for their first morning class.

· Walking gives children good life experience. It’s an opportunity for them to be independent, think responsibly, and make decisions for themselves. Some children feel less anxiety about being at school when they know how to get home.

· Walking gets children outdoors – and, according to Richard Louv, who wrote about Nature Deficit Disorder, kids certainly aren’t spending enough time outside these days. Find opportunities for your child to get outside and get moving too!

· Walking provides daily exercise for children. Obesity rates have skyrocketed in North America, so incorporating physical activity into a child’s daily routine is a good place to start fighting it.

Students’ Progress The school year is divided into two terms. Your Grade JK - 8 student will receive an Elementary Progress Report card on November 15th. Students will receive their Elementary Provincial Report card Term 1 on February 14th. The term 2 report cards for JK to Gr. 8 students will be sent home on June 26th.

Student Absences With the start of cold and flu season, we ask parents and guardians to be explicit in their voice mail messages about the reason for their child’s absence from school. It helps our school to track patterns of illness in a classroom or division. If your child is away for a reason other than illness, just let us know that in your voice mail message. We appreciate your cooperation in this safe school arrival program. As part of our safe school policy we need to know if your child is absent. Please leave a message on the Office Coordinators voice mail by pressing 1 when you call.

We Scare Hunger - Me-to-We October Food Drive During the month of October, there will be a school wide challenge to bring in canned goods. Items will be collected daily from classrooms. The class that brings in the most donations will earn a festive treat. Minto Storm….we can beat hunger! Upper Grand Mobile App The Upper Grand District School Board is committed to parent engagement and ensuring strong lines of communication between home and school. We are pleased to introduce our new School Messenger Parent Application that will be launched during the 2017 / 2018 school year. The Upper Grand Mobile App allows parents to receive communications from their school(s) immediately on their mobile device. The Upper Grand Mobile App is free and available in both Android and iOS. Use the search term “Upper Grand” in either the iTunes store or Google Play. iOS App - https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/upper-grand-dist-school-board/id124244 5465?mt=8

Android - In the Google Play store search for Upper Grand https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.relianceco.cma.upper grand&hl=en

Once installed, your app should appear as an icon on your phone. Click on the app to open. The first time you open the Upper Grand Mobile App you will need to click on the Start setup link to see a list of schools. You may select more than one school. To select a school, slide the button to the right. Once you have selected your school(s) use the arrow in the top left corner to return to the home screen. Select the News and Calendar icons to get the latest information. The Transportation icon will update you on bus cancellations. Thank you for the role you play in supporting our schools and students. We hope this new communication tool will be useful for you and your family! Attitudes About Math

Myth of the Math Person Most people believe that math is one of those subjects that you either “get” or you “don’t get.” This way of thinking cannot be further from the truth; there is no such thing as a math person. Everyone can achieve in any subject with hard work, perseverance, and someone to guide them. They key to shattering this myth is developing a growth mindset in our teachers and students, and a math classroom where students are challenged by engaging problems and supported in their learning.

The Evolving Classroom “The reason so many people think math is the most difficult is the inaccessible way it is

often taught.”[1] When we were math students our math teachers often taught us tips, tricks, and recipes for solving math problems. In the math classes of old there was only one correct solution. We could get the answer if we memorized and followed the teacher’s procedure, but if someone asked us the “why” behind our formula,most of us wouldn’t be able to answer. Today, teachers are striving for students to have a solid grasp of the “why” behind each solution. This often means that students are encouraged to share a variety of methods and strategies to solve a single problem. By sharing different strategies, teachers can help students see the common thread that connects each solution, thus deepening their understanding of the concept being taught. The teacher’s role is no longer to teach procedures, but to help students make connections and understand the mathematical concepts behind the solutions.

Growth Mindset Homework Help Tips Let your child struggle with math problems.

● See if they have the perseverance to work through their struggles. We need to break the math myth that we need fast answers to be good at math.

Never let your child hear you say: “I was never good at math.”

● Research studies have shown when parents tell their children they were not

good at math, their child’s achievement is immediately affected.[2]

Ask your child if they can solve a math problem in another way.

● This shows that your child has multiple strategies at their fingertips and they are flexible with their math thinking.

Ask your child to explain the reasoning behind their response.

● “Why did you (add/ subtract/ multiply/ divide)?” ● “What does your drawing represent?”

[1] Boaler, Jo. Mathematical Mindsets. Jossey-Bass: 2016, pg 96.

[2] Boaler, J. (n.d.). Parents' Beliefs about Math Change Their Children's Achievement. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from

https://www.youcubed.org/think-it-up/parents-beliefs-math-change-childrens-achievement/

Individual Education Plans (IEPs) Individual Education Plans, or IEPs, are developed by schools when assessments show that a student needs special education programming and/or services. The development of the IEP should be a collaborative process that includes parents and the student (if possible). During the development phase, schools are required to seek feedback through consultation with parents. This is your opportunity to discuss and share information with the classroom teacher and/or special education teacher regarding your child’s education. If your child had an IEP last year, you will see a copy of this working document come home within the first 30 school days. When the IEP is sent home, you will also receive a booklet titled, Parents’ Guide to the Individual Education Plan. This booklet is a resource to help parents understand how an IEP is developed, what is included in an IEP, and how an IEP supports your child. It also includes definitions and explanations to help parents understand some of the language that is part of an IEP, such as accommodations and modifications. One more item that will accompany your child’s IEP this year is a Parent/Guardian IEP Questionnaire. We want to know your ideas about your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Your ideas will be used to help us improve the IEP processes in our schools, and help us provide parents/guardians with the special education information they are looking for. Please take a few moments to share your ideas and

Information from Public Health Have a Happy, Healthy Halloween Are your kids buzzing with excitement about trick or treating? The real trick is balancing treats with healthy foods and eating them in moderation. The article below gives parents and teachers tips to help kids have a happy and healthy Halloween. It includes creative ways to celebrate Halloween and recipes for healthy spooky treats. Read the article here: http://bit.ly/2wcAUHe For more information visit www.wdgpublichealth.ca Are you frustrated by your child’s eating? Would you like them to enjoy more vegetables? Join us for Getting to Yum: How to get kids to enjoy eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. In this presentation, scientist and author Karen LeBillon will help you teach your kids to explore and enjoy eating. Learn the 7 secrets of raising eager eaters and change dinnertime reactions from YUCK to YUM. Saturday October 21, 2017 2-4 pm Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School, 200 Clair Road W. Guelph Cost is $10 which includes the book “Getting to Yum” Register by October 9th at http://bit.ly/2wce1nh

October is Child Abuse Prevention month in Canada.

On October 24, 2017 many boards of education and schools across Ontario will participate in Dress Purple Day as a way of collectively speaking up and sharing the message that child abuse and neglect can be prevented and that help is available. This year for Dress Purple Day the Upper Grand District School Board is partnering with Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County, and Dufferin Child and Family Services, who are key partners in keeping children and youth safe.

Dress Purple Day Classroom Resources have been designed by the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) to support teachers from Junior Kindergarten to Grade Five to engage in important conversations with their students about safety and well-being, and how to identify helping adults in the community. The theme of Dress Purple Classroom Resources is “It takes a village to keep kids safe.” These classroom resources can be found on the OACAS website at www.oacas.org.

Your child’s class will participate in Dress Purple Day and learn how the village they live in helps to keep them safe. We hope that you will encourage your child to wear something purple on October 24 to help recognize the day. If this is not possible, your child’s teacher may also have other purple options available to students in the classroom.

If you would like to learn more about Dress Purple Day and the Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign, please visit the OACAS website at www.oacas.org. You can also visit www.fcsgw.org (Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County) and https://dcafs.on.ca (Dufferin Child and Family Services) for more information on your local children’s aid society.

Thank you for your support.

Talking About Mental Health October 2017 - Building Resilience

Resilience is our ability to recover from difficulties and adapt to change; to be able to function as well or better after a challenge. Resilience is an important part of good mental health. We all can develop resilience, and we can help our children and youth develop it as well. The following tips are taken from Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers, by the American Psychological Association. For more information see:

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resilience.aspx

Tips for building resilience:

1. Make connections 2. Teach your child how to make friends, including the skill of empathy, or feeling another's

pain. Encourage your child to be a friend in order to get friends. 3. Help your child/youth by having them help others 4. Children and youth who may feel helpless can be empowered by helping others. Engage

your child/youth in age-appropriate volunteer work, or ask for assistance yourself with some task that they can master. At school, brainstorm with children about ways they can help others.

5. Maintain a daily routine 6. Sticking to a routine can be comforting to children, especially younger children who

crave structure in their lives. Encourage your child/youth to develop their own routines. 7. Take a break 8. While it is important to stick to routines, endlessly worrying can be counter-productive.

Build regular breaks into school and home routines. 9. Teach your child/youth self-care 10. Make yourself a good example, and teach your child/youth the importance of making time

to eat properly, exercise and rest. Make sure your child/youth has time to have fun. 11. Move toward goals 12. Teach your child/youth to set reasonable goals and then to move toward them one step at

a time. Moving toward that goal — even if it's a tiny step — and receiving praise for doing so will focus your child/youth on what they have been able to do rather than on what they haven’t done, and can help build resilience.

13. Nurture a positive self-view 14. Help your child/youth remember ways that they have successfully handled hardships in

the past and then help them understand that these past challenges help them build the strength to handle future challenges.

15. Keep things in perspective and maintain a hopeful outlook 16. Even when your child/youth is facing very painful events, help them look at the situation

in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. An optimistic and positive outlook allows your child/youth to see the good things in life and keep going even in the hardest times.

17. Look for opportunities for self-discovery 18. Tough times are often the times when children/youth learn the most about themselves.

Discuss with your child/youth what they learned after facing a tough situation. 19. Accept that change is part of living 20. Change often can be scary for children and youth. Help your child see that change is part

of life and new goals can replace other goals.

Have a mentally healthy day!

Dr. Lynn Woodford is the Mental Health Lead for Upper Grand District School Board Follow me on twitter: @drlynnwoodford

October 2017 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1  2 

We Scare 

Hunger 

Starts 

3  4 

 

 

Bully Buster 

Day: Wear 

Pink 

 

5 

Int. Soccer 

 

6 

Popcorn Day 

Me2We $2 

7 

8  9 

Thanksgiving 

10  11  12  

Picture Day 

 

13 

 

Country Western 

Day 

 

14 

15  16 

 

 

17  18  19 

Jr/Int 

Cross Country  

Meet 

 

20  

Gr. 7 & 8 Needles 

Popcorn Day 

Me2We $2 

21 

             

22  23  24 

 

25  26 

 

 

27 

PA DAY 

no school 

for students 

28 

             

29  30  31 

Happy 

Halloween! 

Black and 

Orange Day