ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE March brings with it new beginnings; an energy and a lightness. As we dive into Term 2, please start setting some realistic goals with your child(ren). For example, reading every night, reducing screen time and being involved in various extra-curricular activities. Parents and care-givers are also encouraged to dedicate specific time periods each day for family bonding. This could include playing board games together, eating meals together or simply reading. It is important to have ongoing positive conversations with your son or daughter as it is essential to their academic, social and emotional growth. Thank-you in advance for your partnership and continued support in your child’s education. G. Harris J. Challinor D.Bhamra Principal Vice-Principal Vice-Principal

Growing together today, for

tomorrow

Principal: Mr. G. Harris ~ Vice Principals: Mrs. J. Challinor & Mrs. D. Bhamra

Office Manager: Mrs. J. Giugovaz ~ Office Assistants: Mrs. C. Da Cruz, Mrs. K. Bafaro

Dates For Your Calendar: March 16- 20 March Break (No School)

March 24 International Day – Elimination of Racism

International Day for the Elimination of Racial

Discrimination

In the Peel District School Board, we #ChooseACTION each and every day to proactively

eliminate racism in all forms and be inclusive in our school communities. We use an anti-

oppressive stance to support and maintain a safe and positive Climate for Learning and Working

for staff, students and community well-being. This important day, which we will recognize as a

board on Tuesday, March 24th, will help lead the work we all do in our schools with our

students in support of equity and inclusion.

History of the Day: On March 21st, 1960, Afrikaner police opened

fire and killed 69 Indigenous South African

people at a peaceful demonstration in

Sharpeville, South Africa. They were

protesting the apartheid "pass laws" that

severely restricted the movement and freedom

of Indigenous South Africans. Proclaiming the

Day in 1966, the General Assembly of the

United Nations called on the international

community to redouble its efforts to eliminate

all forms of racial discrimination.

Peel District School Board Focus: This year supports and resources focused on

Anti-Black Racism and Islamophobia have

been curated and provided to schools.

Educators are encouraged to use this sampling

of tools throughout the year in our schools and

classrooms. Our goal is to proactively

eliminate racial discrimination every day.

For more information and for activities to

commemorate the day with your children

please access the resources:

www.peelschools.org/aboutus/equity

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.

2020 March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre

Open House

Wednesday, March 18 - Saturday, March 21 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 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 the Maple Syrup Sugar 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. Discover the importance of Ontario’s first harvest and witness some of the many ways both sweet water and maple syrup are made in this region. Your visit would not be complete without a trip to the sugar shack where the sap will boil and clouds of sweet smelling steam will billow out of the chimney. Have a taste of the freshly made syrup: it’s going to be sweet! The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/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. Please note that all payments are “cash” only. 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 St. (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

Left into the Jack Smythe site.

WHEN DO STUDENTS GO OUTDOORS?

Cold Weather Guidelines Peel Public Health recommends that schools in the Peel District School Board take the following

steps to prevent cold-weather injuries: 1. Reduce amount of time children (grade 8 and under) spend outdoors when the

temperature is –20 degrees Celsius or colder, with or without the wind chill. Keep

children indoors when the temperature is -25 degrees Celsius or colder, with or without wind chill. 2. Allow indoor breaks if children say they are feeling cold or during extreme

temperatures. 3. Ensure children are dressed warmly, covering exposed skin: insulated boots, winter weight coats, mittens, hats, neck warmers. 4. Change wet clothing or footwear immediately. 5. Although these conditions are unlikely to occur during the school day, ensure that all staff are able to recognize and treat symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. Given

plenty of warm fluids to prevent dehydration. 6. When children are outside, be watchful for shivering or signs of numbness in faces, ears, hands or feet. 7. Educate children in dealing with cold weather: drinking plenty of fluids, dressing warmly, and recognizing signs of cold injury.

BREAKFAST IDEAS - TRIPLE BERRY SMOOTHIES

Step #1~ Pick your fruit.

You can chose strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and bananas to be your base, but any combo of fruit is great. Make a tropical smoothie of pineapple, mango, and banana or add blueberry and peach to switch it up a bit. Aim for about 3 cups of fruit.

Fresh or frozen fruit?

For smoothies, frozen fruit is best. It blends up thicker than fresh fruit and gives you a really cold smoothie to enjoy when done. If you don't have frozen fruit, freeze your fresh fruit for 30 minutes before blending or add about 1 cup of ice and blend until smooth!

Step #2~ Add a thickener

You can use unsweetened Greek yogurt in your smoothie, but peanut butter, almond butter, or vanilla yogurt are all great options. Traditionally about 1/2 cup is ideal. If you prefer thinner smoothies, you can either lessen the amount of thickener or skip it all together.

Step #3~ Choose a liquid.

Almond milk is great for the added nutty flavor, but coconut milk pairs well with a tropical smoothie. Whole milk or fruit juice also work well. 1 1/4 cup of liquid makes the perfect consistency. If you skipped the thickener, use less liquid as well. Add some spinach or kale for additional nutrition or flax seeds for omega-3s. Flavors like fresh mint, vanilla extract, cinnamon, or honey will take any smoothie to the next level.

INGREDIENTS 1 banana 1 c. frozen strawberries 1 c. frozen blackberries, plus more for garnish (optional)

1 c. frozen raspberries

1 1/4 c. almond milk

1/2 c. Greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Divide between 2 cups and top with blackberries, if desired.

LARKSPUR PHYS ED COMMUNICATION

Parents, for all upcoming information on events, clubs and sports teams relating to Physical Education please check out our Larkspur Phys-Ed Google Class in order to meet your child's Physical Education Needs. Sign up by: 1) Logging into your child's GOOGLE ACCOUNT 2) USERNAME (Student number and pdsb.net) and PASSWORD (that they created at school) 3) Click "GOOGLE CLASS" 4) Find the + in the top right corner 5) JOIN Class ALSO check out our Twitter Posts at @LarkspurPhysEd for all information on ways you and your family can get active while being safe during the winter months in the new year.

BRAMPTON BASKETBALL CLUBS /ORGANIZATIONS

If you've caught "RAPTORS FEVER" and you are looking to sign your son/daughter into a sports

program during these winter months check out these great programs below. These Basketball programs teach the fundamentals of the game if your child WANTS TO GET BETTER at basketball OR just loves the game. Check "GOOGLE CLASS" Larkspur Phys-ed for more information.

1) A4H Basketball (Aspire For Hire) 2) Excel Hoops

3) Elite Basketball Camp

4) Brampton Warriors

5) Athlete Institute

Bus cancellation and closing schools due to bad weather

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather. Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio, television stations and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org, Twitter @STOPRinfo and www.stopr.ca or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146. One of the following messages will be announced: Peel District School Board buses are cancelled This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will operate as usual. All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed This means that all schools and Peel board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits. All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed. All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

HEALTH UPDATES

Report your child’s immunizations to the Region of Peel online

When registering for school for the first time, parents and guardians are required to provide up-

to-date immunization information for their children. This includes registering for kindergarten.

You can update your child’s immunizations online. The online immunization tool allows you to

attach a photo of the immunization record. When reporting online, an Ontario Health Card is

required.

Report immunizations online at: www.peelregion.ca/immunize

After you report your immunizations online you will be given a reference number. Keep this

number for your records. You will need to give this number to your child’s school when

registering.

If you do not have online access or your child does not have an Ontario Health Card, take a copy

of the immunization record to the school. Make sure your child’s name and date of birth are

visible on the record.

Call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 if your child does not have an immunization record or if

you have any questions about immunization exemptions.

For more information, visit www.peelregion.ca/immunize

Peel Public Health shares tips to help prevent the flu It’s flu season and we want to make sure students stay as healthy as possible this year! Influenza (flu) spreads easily from one person to another and Peel Public Health has some tips to help reduce the risk of catching the flu and spreading it:

Get your annual flu shot: The flu shot is your best defence against the flu. There are

many locations across Peel where you can get your flu shots:

Family Doctors’ offices

Walk-in clinics

Pharmacies

Peel flu clinics

Keep children home when they’re sick: If your child develops flu-like signs and

symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue), keep

them home from school. Contact your health care provider if symptoms are severe.

Practice good hygiene: Help your child get into the habit of covering their nose and

mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and throw tissues in the trash. Cough or

sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, if they don’t have a tissue. They should also avoid

touching their eyes, nose or mouth. This is how germs are spread.

Wash your hands: Encourage your child to wash their hands often with soap and water

or use hand sanitizer, especially after they cough or sneeze.

For more information, call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.

Keep your child’s eyes healthy Did you know that vision problems in children often go unnoticed because kids don’t know any different? As many as 10 per cent of preschoolers will have vision difficulties that can affect the development of their sight if not treated. However, if caught by the age of 5, treatment will be most effective. The Region of Peel recommends regular eye exams for your child to help find eye problems early and get the right treatment. The best way to ensure good eye health is to have your child’s eyes checked by an optometrist. Yearly eye exams for children 19 and under are covered by OHIP. What to expect at your child’s eye exam An optometrist will complete:

General vision testing in both eyes. Eye muscle testing. Eye coordination testing. A general health assessment of the front and back of the eyes.

If needed, the optometrist will write a prescription for glasses for your child. For information on overall vision health, common signs of a possible eye problem and the programs available to you within Peel, visit www.peelregion.ca/vision-health

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

It's time to register children born in 2016 for kindergarten We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2016, they can start kindergarten in September 2020. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school they will be attending to register. What you will need to bring to registration

Proof of child's age (one of the following) Canadian birth certificate Canadian passport citizenship card/certificate Permanent Resident Card confirmation of permanent residence work permit refugee permit

Proof of address (one of the following)

Ontario driver's license utility bill bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution) credit card statement federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada

documents) purchase agreement

Proof of custody – children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation supports an alternate living arrangement. Proof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated.

NADINE WILLIAMS VISITS LARKSPUR P.S

During the month of February, Larkspur P.S was very honoured to have Nadine Williams, a well known poet share her poetry and personal inspirations for writing. She presented various pieces of her literature with tremendous pride and enthusiasm to the Grade

4 and 5 students. Thank you Nadine for visiting!

Look what’s happening at Larkspur P.S!

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

I Take a look at what Ms. Brazil’s grade 3 students completed. They made structures to create a pioneer town (ex. cooper, sawmill, schoolhouse. They worked on the structures individually, researched what they were used for and then put them together to make their own town.

Celebrating Faith and Culture March 2020

DATE

CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

March Sugar Moon Indigenous Worldview (First Nations

Sunset of March 1 to 19 Alá (Fasting month) Bahá'í March 2 Clean Monday (J) Christianity March 6 World Day of Prayer Christianity March 8 ● Sakyamuni Buddha’s Nirvana Day Buddhism March 8 or 12 Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's

Birthday Buddhism

March 9 Holi Hinduism Sunset of March 9 to 10 Purim Judaism March 10 Hola Mohalla Sikhism 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 Lady Day (Ostra) Wicca March 20 or 21 ● Naw Ruz/Navroze (FC) Bahá'í/Zoroastrianism March 21 Eid e-Navroz Islam Eve of March 20 or 21 to March 21 or 22

Isra and Mi’raj Islam

March 24 or 25 Vasant Navratri and New Year’s Day Hinduism March 26 ● Khordad Sal (FC) Zoroastrianism

The expectation is that Peel schools and worksites not schedule events on significant holydays (as marked with a ● or ○ on the calendar) that would exclude observing staff and students from participating. ● = Do not schedule events at any time on these days ○ = Do not schedule events on the evenings of these days Dates in bold lettering are approved holy days according to the Peel District School Board Leaves of Absence policy #23 and O.P. HRS #42