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Newsletter Vol. 2

THE BOBCAT

ECOLE PUBLIQUE BRIMWOOD BOULEVARD JUNIOR P.S. 151 Brimwood Blvd. Scarborough, ON M1V 1E5 Tel: (416) 396-6085

Principal: Claudette White Vice-Principal: Jenny Georgiou

Superintendent: Shirley Chan

OCTOBER, 2015

Character Education Focus for October… RESPONSIBILITY - “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” (Gandhi)

Thank you all for an excellent start of the 2015-2016 school year! Students have been making friends and getting to know their teachers. We had a great turn out at our Welcome Back BBQ thanks to the gracious hosting by our School Council.

The school has been very busy with students and staff delving into the curriculum. Assessment for learning is an ongoing process in every classroom at Brimwood, with our primary focus always on student success. Teachers determine students' areas of need and strength and use this information to help create a "road map" for taking students to where they need to be by the end of June.

We continue to look for your support in all aspects of teaching and learning. Our focus for this school year will include:

Numeracy

Providing opportunities for students to further improve their ability to express their understanding of mathematical relationships, reflect upon and clarify their ideas and arguments orally, visually and in writing

Supporting a deeper understanding of mathematics by enabling students to make sense of the mathematics they are learning through exploring, developing of ideas, making mathematical conjectures, and justifying their answers

Applying math concepts to everyday life situations so as to make the learning practical

Literacy

Using specific reading strategies in small group settings (called Guided Reading) to help students make sense of what they are reading and develop strong critical thinking

Teaching students how to effectively support their ideas (written and orally) with information they are reading as well as their personal experiences and prior knowledge

Teaching specific forms of writing to help students independently express their ideas

Promote inquiry-based, higher order learning through the science and social studies curricula as we incorporate happenings in our community, current events, and global social concerns

The use of technology through computers, interactive white boards, document cameras, digital projectors, mimeo boards, View Sonic Touch Screens, iPads, and chrome books will continue to be an integrated part of students’ learning experiences here at Brimwood.

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Self-Regulated Learners

We will also intentionally focus on helping our students become self-regulated learners, whereby they take greater responsibility for their own learning and behaviour. It is important that our students become aware of their own academic strengths and needs, and develop strategies they can use to address the challenges they encounter academically, socially, physically and emotionally. With your help and support, we hope to guide students in:

making their own learning goals;

creating a plan of action for achieving their goals;

regulating their actions, and

monitoring and evaluating their progress.

Caring and Safe Community

We will continue to facilitate a number of initiatives dealing with bully prevention and intervention as well as emphasizing the importance of playing safely in the playground and on the playground equipment, and ensuring that each student feels safe at school.

Please refer to the attached fact sheet on “Bullying – Understanding the Problem for Parents” for some useful information on bullying.

Physical and Mental Health

The mental and emotional well-being of our students will be of particular emphasis this year as we focus on guiding students in developing healthy coping skills and resiliency, integrating adaptive strategies in social interactions, and monitoring their own learning through careful planning and implementation of strategies.

KEEPING BRIMWOOD SAFE

Knowing What to Do in an Emergency

Emergency situations can occur anywhere and at any time. Throughout the school year, Brimwood conducts the emergency drills to prepare students and staff in the event we are faced with emergencies such as an evacuation, a lockdown or a hold and secure situation emergency. Emergency Evacuation Brimwood has a detailed evacuation plan to remove students and staff in the event of a serious incident where everyone must leave the building such as a fire, gas leak, etc. Fire drills are conducted 6 times during the school year. Lockdown A lockdown is used in an emergency situation where the danger is in the school. All students are kept in classrooms or other designated locations that are away from the danger. A lockdown minimizes access and visibility and shelters students, teachers, staff and visitors in secure locations. Lights are turned off in the classrooms, /blinds are closed and all interior windows/glass panes are covered. During a lockdown staff establish communication with police, contact security, alert our communications department, call the Safe Schools Office and provide a crisis report as soon as possible.

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Hold and Secure A hold and secure occurs when the threat occurs outside in the general vicinity of the school, but not on or near school property. Staff, students and visitors are considered to be safe inside the building. Students and staff go about the activities; however, no one is permitted to come inside or go outside the school.

We cannot predict emergencies or always prevent them, however at Brimwood, we work very hard to make sure that we know what to do in the event we are faced with emergencies.

Some other safety precautions we have taken at Brimwood include:

Our Safety Patrollers are at the crosswalk every day to ensure the safe crossing of students and parents.

Bus evacuation drills take place each year with new students All outer doors are always locked; access to the school is only with security cards or

buzzed in by the office staff who have a security monitor to see who is at the door Teachers on yard supervision wear yellow vests so that students can see them easily Teachers carry walkie-talkies whenever they are outside with students to ensure easy

communication with office Portable doors are always locked and students go in pairs to the washroom Photo identification is requested when someone other than the regular person(s) comes to

pick up students Rules and guidelines for walking safely to and from school are reviewed with students

PROGRESS REPORTS – sent home Friday, November 6th

The Progress Report has no marks, but uses the phrases “Progressing with Difficulty”, “Progressing Well”, and “Progressing Very Well” to show students’ overall progress in working towards the achievement of the curriculum in each subject. “Excellent”, “Good”, “Satisfactory” and “Needs Improvement” are used to show students’ development of the learning skills and work habits during the first two months of the school year. Parent-teacher-student conferencing will take place on Friday, November 13th. Further information will be forthcoming.

Grade 6 WE DAY Experience

“Individually we are drops, but together we are an ocean” -Ryunosuke Satoro

October 1st is a day I will never forget. I went to the We Day Conference at the Air Canada Centre.

We Day is an event that inspires children to be good citizens of their communities and teaches

them how to make a positive difference on our world by helping others. This message was

emphasized through performances and speeches by celebrities, such as Demi Lovato, Carly Rae

Jepson, Pinball Mike Clemons, and many more. This year We Day started off with a warm

welcome from the one and only founders of We Day, Craig and Marc Kielburger. They shared

three significant points that really had an impact on me: “We are powerful”, “We are a movement”

and “We will change the world”. I also learned that in order to have an idea you need a spark. The

spark leads to an idea and the idea leads to thinking about what you’re doing. Once the planning

and research is done, I need to put my plan into action.

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We day inspired me to be myself and to be the leader that’s inside of me. Craig Kielburger inspires

me. Due to my experience at We Day today, I was inspired to create a quote. This quote is “To

inspire be inspired”. We day has brought my innovation and creativity to a whole new level.

Thank You We day and Craig Kielburger! (by Maahiesh S.)

…………….

My journey to We Day was really inspiring! I learned that every small step will lead me to a bigger

and stronger step! The heroes that gave inspirational speeches really did resonate with me. I

cannot describe the power of We Day! I understood that we are the generation who will change the

world from Me to We If we all unite we will be the “unstoppables”! When I sat on the seat in the

auditorium it felt like a spark came inside of me. I wanted to change this world so that we are all

happy – everyone with equal rights and privileges! If we all become “imagineers”(imagine +

engineer), we will be able to change the world.

The three statements of We Day: We are POWERFUL … We are a MOVEMENT … We will

CHANGE the WORLD. I have the power and the ideas to move our world to change. I am excited

to be part of the Me to We generation. (by Brinthavi S.)

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We Day was very inspiring and it was a lot of fun! Many of the people that were there were my

heroes, such as Spencer West and Marlee Matlin. The speeches that the speakers made

resonated with me. We Day is not like other events; it is the most powerful event that persuades

you to change this world from ME to WE! We day inspired me to take small steps that lead to big

and powerful changes in the world. I felt privileged when I was able to go to the Air Canada Centre.

This is my “someday” or goal that I would like to achieve: that global issues will become something

we read about in history books and something we no longer experience. I might only create a small

wave, however, it can make a big impact on the people I help. (Amrutha T.)

FRENCH IMMERSION KINDERGARTEN

INFORMATION NIGHT

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

6:30 p.m. in the school library

This is for parents of children currently at Junior Kindergarten age who are thinking of registering their children in French Immersion

next school year.

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Application for French Immersion

Senior Kindergarten OPENS November 2nd.

JUNIOR EXTENDED FRENCH & MIDDLE FRENCH IMMERSION

Your child must currently be in Grade 3 Begins in Grade 4 On-line application opens January 4, 2016 Deadline to apply is January 28, 2016.

Register online at www.tdsb.on.ca/pars

Registration opens January 4, 2015 and closes January 28, 2016.

French Immersion programs are designed for

students who do not speak French at home.

Early Immersion begins in Senior Kindergarten, and

provides the maximum French language experience

available in TDSB.

All instruction and activities are conducted in French

until the end of Grade 3 although some specialist

subjects such as Physical and Health Education, Music,

etc. may be taught in English. English begins in Grade 4

for about one hour per day and increases in Grades 5

and 6.

In Grade 7 students continue the French Immersion

program at Sir Alexander Mackenzie Sr. P.S. and then

at designated high schools. Students who successfully

complete the high school program will receive a

Certificate of Bilingual Studies in French Immersion.

Transportation applications are available ONLY

for students living 1.6 km or more from

Brimwood Blvd. P.S.

Register online at www.tdsb.on.ca/pars

FRENCH IMMERSION Kindergarten Registration

(ON LINE REGISTRATION ONLY)

TO REGISTER FOR FRENCH

IMMERSION SENIOR

KINDERGARTEN

1. Go to www.tdsb.on.ca/pars 2. Select Early French

Immersion and complete the application process

You must have your child’s OEN # to register, which is indicated on any of

his/her report cards.

Registration opens November 2nd

and closes December 3, 2015

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Please take a look in the

LOST AND FOUND BOX

located at the front

entrance of the school for

items that might belong

to your child.

OUTDOOR CLOTHING

With the constant change in weather and temperature, children become more prone to catching colds. Please ensure that your child wears outdoor clothing suitable for each day’s weather condition.

PARENT COUNCIL

Our first Parent Council meeting took place on Tuesday, September 29th with 10 parents attending.

Items of discussion at our meeting included the creation of the School Council Fundraising Plan and Brimwood’s School Statement of Needs.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30 p.m. All parents are welcomed.

When dropping off or picking up your children, please

park in the school parking lot, NOT along any of the

sidewalk areas on the school property. School buses are

having difficulty getting past vehicles parked along the

sidewalks in the front of the school and along the loop.

LABEL PERSONAL ITEMS

We encourage you to use a permanent marker and put your child’s name on his/her backpack, coat, lunch bags and other personal belongings. This will help in returning lost items to their owners. Thank you.

PLEASE CALL THE SCHOOL …

When your child is going to be absent from school, please remember to call the school (416) 396-6085 and let us know by leaving a message or speaking to Mrs. Bradey or Mrs. Singh-Charran. Thank you.

BIRTHDAY TREATS

Some parents wish to send treats to school when it is

their children’s birthday. Please note that we have a

number of students who have food allergies – some

life-threatening. We ask for your cooperation in

ensuring that only food packaged with the nut free

symbol will be permitted. No home cooked treats will

be accepted. No Timbits will be accepted.

To avoid your child being disappointed

and to ensure the safety of all students,

we ask for your strictest adherence.

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MESSAGES SENT ON BEHALF OF DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, DONNA QUAN

The tdsbCARES: Refugee Crisis Appeal

Since the start of this year, it is estimated that more than 350,000 refugees and migrants

have entered Europe to escape war and hunger in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and

Iraq, among others. Some have travelled weeks to reach safety and others have been

turned away. Some have died while attempting the journey.

It’s with those troubling details in mind that the Toronto District School Board is asking

students, staff and school communities to help support the tdsbCARES: Refugee Crisis

Appeal.

As we did after the earthquake in Nepal, we will be supporting the Canadian Red Cross in

their relief efforts. Together with their Red Cross Movement partners, the organization

already has teams on the ground in the Middle East and Europe providing assistance to

those in need. To contribute online, visit the TDSB website at www.tdsb.on.ca. For all

donations in excess of $20, tax receipts will be issued by the Canadian Red Cross.

The tdsbCARES: Refugee Crisis Appeal campaign will run until Friday, December 11.

The federal government has announced that they will match all eligible donations (up to

$100 million) made between September 2 and December 31.

In our schools and workplaces, we may have students, staff and community members who

are personally affected by this tragedy. Should anyone require support, please contact

your school social worker for additional resources.

CURRENT ETFO AND CUPE JOB ACTION

Dear Parents/Guardians, We wanted to provide you with an update about job action being taken by teaching staff represented by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represent support staff. Currently, both unions are in ongoing province-wide labour negotiations with the Government of Ontario and public school boards. As a result, members of ETFO and CUPE are taking part in a legal job action that will impact our schools. It’s important to note that schools remain open and instructional programs continue to run. During these extraordinary times in our schools, principals and vice-principals are working together with staff to maintain a caring and positive school environment. As always,

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student safety and learning remain the top priorities of all TDSB staff, and superintendents are in daily contact with our schools to assess any concerns.

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Recently, ETFO escalated its work-to-rule campaign to include a number of new measures — the full list of which was posted on September 18th at www.tdsb.on.ca/labour. As a result, some activities and events (e.g. curriculum nights and fundraising events) may need to be postponed or cancelled. Wherever possible, schools are working to reschedule affected events. ETFO has stated that if sufficient progress is not made in negotiations it MAY implement rotating one-day strikes in October. Should rotating strikes occur, we will provide you with as much notice as possible about the impact on our schools. Canadian Union of Public Employees (e.g. custodians, school office staff, educational assistants) Today, CUPE has started a partial withdrawal of services which includes:

money for school-related initiatives and fundraising A full list of CUPE’s directive to its members is available at www.tdsb.on.ca/labour. As the withdrawal of services continues, it MAY have a more significant impact on school activities and permits. Please note, child care programs are currently operating according to their normal schedules. As you can imagine, principals and vice-principals have had to take on additional tasks as a result of the ongoing job action and we appreciate your patience. During this time, there may be some delays when trying to contact your school office. While we appreciate offers of assistance from parents, volunteers cannot fulfill the duties of staff during a legal job action. For all the latest labour information, visit tdsb.on.ca/labour. We remain hopeful that a fair agreement can be reached between unions, the Government of Ontario and public school boards in the very near future. Sincerely, Robin Pilkey/ Donna Quan Chair/Director of Education

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OCTOBER 2015

Character Education trait for October: RESPONSIBILITY

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Day 3

ME TO WE

(Students to Air Canada Centre)

2 Day 4

Picture Day

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4 5 Day 5

6 Day 1

Parent Dental

Health

Session -

Public Health

7 Day 2

8 Day 3

Pizza Lunch

9 Day 4

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11 12

13 Day 5

14 Day 1

15 Day 2

16 Day 3

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18 19 Day 4

20 Day 5

21 Day 1

22 Day 2

23 Day 3

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25 26 Day 4

27 Day 5

6:30 School

Council Mtg

28 Day 1

Police

Student

Presentation

on bullying,

safety, and cyberbullying

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Day 2

30 Day 3

6:00 Family Movie Night

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