LARKSPUR PUBLIC SCHOOL

growing together today, for tomorrow

111 Larkspur RoadBrampton, Ontario L6R 1X2Phone: 905-799-2952 Fax: 905-799-8109Website: http://schools.peelschools.org/1477

JANUARY 2018DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Every Wednesday Walk to School Wednesday January 8 First Day of School 2018January 22 Report Writing Day (No School for Students)January 26 French Immersion Registration DeadlineJanuary 26 Youth Education Presentations (Grades 4 & 5)January 29 – February 2 FDK Registration (9am – 3pm daily)February 1 FDK Registration Evening (5 – 8pm)

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGEDecember always brings much excitement and activity as we celebrate a number of holidays in our community and look forward to spending the Winter Break with family and friends. Larkspur was buzzing with activity throughout the halls and in our classrooms. We had beautiful mild days and blustery cold days. We even enjoyed some snow fall and students were excited to build snowmen, forts, and slide down the small hill at the back of the school.

Our winter sing-a-longs were a huge success! Our Kindergarten students brought the gym to life through song and dance on December 20th. The following day, our students in Grades 1-5 also brought their “A-Game”. Our voices were undoubtedly heard all the way to the North Pole and we were treated to a special visit from Santa himself.

The New Year is upon us and we are excited for all that 2018 has to offer. We would like to take this opportunity to remind you and your children to dress warmly for the weather since we play outside every day. Walking Wednesday’s will continue each week. Think about walking to school – avoid the busy parking lot in exchange for some fresh air and exercise.

G. Harris J. Challinor S.Bloom Principal Vice-Principal Vice-Principal

Primary: Grade 2'sDuring the month of December, the grade 2's were introduced to some valuable character traits, such as fairness and citizenship, while learning various types of Dodgeball Games such as Swampball, Sit Down Dodgeball and Doctor Dodgeball. Dodgeball games will continue throughout the month of January.

Junior: Grade 4's and Grade 5'sThroughout December, the Juniors at Larkspur have been learning a new sport called "European Handball". European Handball is a combination of hockey and basketball. It takes a lot of teamwork and cardiovascular endurance in order to play. European Handball will continue throughout January (during 1st Nutrition Breaks on Days 4 and 5).

Larkspur VolleyballLarkspur participated in three different volleyball tournaments in the month of December. Our Co-Ed team played in a tournament at Louise Arbour High School and Larkspur’s boys and girls squads participated in tournaments at Royal Orchard Middle School. All three Larkspur teams

performed admirably and demonstrated great sportsmanship. We are very proud of all our players who put forth a terrific effort during both practices and games.

Hockey CanadaOn Tuesday, December 13th, Hockey Canada was at Larkspur to teach our junior students about the sport of hockey. Students participated in numerous stick handling, passing and shooting drills. They were also given information about a hockey event that took place on Saturday, December 16th, at Greenbriar Recreation Centre where students could learn how to skate for free. A big thank you to Hockey Canada for taking the time to visit Larkspur.

Walk to School ProgramOn Wednesday, December 13th, students from Larkspur who walked to school received a candy cane along with a hand stamp for walking to school. Throughout the winter months we encourage students to continue walking to help reduce traffic in our parking lot and surrounding streets. Please remember to always wear your jacket, snow pants, boots, hats and mittens when outdoors in order to keep warm when walking.

Additionally, we would like to remind you that only families with kindergarten children are permitted to cross at the front of the school. Students in Grades 1-5 are asked to use the path along the east side of the school to access the school yard. Thank you for your support as we strive to make our school a safe place for all.

Blue Spruce & Silver Birch Express

The Grade 1-3 classes will be participating in the Blue Spruce program and the Grade 4-5 classes will be participating in Silver Birch Express. Both programs run from December to April. The books and an artifact that is related or connected to the topic of the book have been placed into a paper bag. The classes will have an opportunity to examine the artifacts, make predictions about the story and read the story. The artifact can be used as a starting point for an inquiry and the class can develop their own artifact to add to the bag.

A website has been created to help classes connect with the books and to dive deeper into their inquiries. This website can be found at

www.bit.ly/TinkerInTheForest

Two weeks before Voting Day the bags will be collected. The books and artifacts will be put on display in the LLC as a “Reading Showcase.” Students can come to view the artifacts added to the bag by other classes and grade levels. This will help to remind students of the stories before they vote for their favourite.

Silver Birch Fiction

A group of 20 Grade 4 and 5 students are participating in a Book Club with Mrs. Lyons . They will be meeting together to discuss the books, share their thoughts and to create artifacts about their reading for the Reading Showcase in April. The students will be deciding on the different types of artifacts they would like to create for the “Reading Showcase”. Some of the artifacts will be done individually and some will be done in pairs or in groups.

Elementary Honour Choir

Larkspur is very excited to have 8 of our students represent our school in the Peel District School Board Elementary Honour Choir at the Peel Music Festival this May. These students will commence rehearsals later this month through their performance day of May 7, 2018. A big Larkspur Congratulations to: Grade 3: Anna & PreetGrade 4: Goury, Karisha, Keira, AseemGrade 5: Pranjali, Andrew

Peel Character Attributes in Action at LarkpurLarkspur’s “Gotcha!” program is up and running! Students are earning Gotchas for exhibiting the Peel Character Attributes throughout the school day. Any staff member who sees a student showing respect, responsibility, cooperation, honesty, caring or inclusion can give them a Gotcha slip that the student can then enter in a draw to win a prize at the next Character Assembly.

We had our first draw at the December assembly and the following students had their Gotcha drawn and received a prize of either an Indigo gift card or a slice of pizza on Pizza Day for a month: Grade 1 - Xavier; Grade 2 - Sean; Grade 3 - Nicholas; Grade 4 - Dildeep; Grade 5 - Sanushan.

We are hoping the Gotcha program will inspire students to show their best and get ‘caught’ in the act, being positive and productive members of our school community! We even got a pep talk from the announcers at Hockey Night in Punjabi. Click on the link to watch the video the announcers made to encourage Larkspur students to go out and get a Gotcha:

http://bit.ly/GotchaMessage-HockeyNightPunjabi

-Ms. Naidu and the Character Assembly Committee.

Food DriveLarkspur PS would like to thank all the families who donated food and personal care items throughout the month of December. The Knights Table of Brampton was very appreciative of the donation made to support those less fortunate in our community.

It's time to register children born in 2014 for kindergarten

We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2014, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2018. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school he/she will be attending to register.

Peel schools will also hold a Kindergarten Registration Week with special registration activities during Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2018. Visit Larkspur Public School from:

Jan. 29 to 31, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 1, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 2, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

Apply for French Immersion by Jan. 26, 2018

If your child will be starting grade 1 in September 2018, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to consider grade 1 French Immersion (FI). To find out more about the program, visit www.peelschools.org/French

The application form for grade 1 FI for the 2018-19 school year is available online at www.peelschools.org/French as of Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m. Applications received after the deadline will not be included in the random selection process and will be placed on the school’s waitlist.

The FI school for our area is Ross Drive Public School. The phone number is 905-796-4563.

Enrolment cap and random selection process The Peel board has a limited number of spaces available for students interested in grade 1 French Immersion. At this time, the grade 1 FI enrolment cap is set at 25 per cent of all Peel students enrolled in grade 1. A random selection process is used to determine which students will be offered spaces in the grade 1 FI program.

It is important to note that applicants are not offered space in grade 1 FI on a first come, first serve basis. A computerized random selection process will randomly assign a rank to each application that is received by the deadline. Once students have been assigned to all available spaces, remaining students will be placed, again in rank order, on the school's waitlist. Each school has its own waitlist.

How to get more information

Visit the Peel board website—www.peelschools.org/French. Call Ross Drive Public School at 905-796-4563. Visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca/.

Conference helps parents empower modern learners

The Peel District School Board is hosting its annual parent conference, co-presented by the Peel Elementary Teachers’ Local, on Saturday, March 24, 2018, at Mississauga Secondary School in Mississauga. Once again, the conference will focus on Empowering Modern Learners. Parents will still have the opportunity to attend workshops on topics, including numeracy, literacy, special education, technology and science.

This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels.

Our keynote presentation will be delivered by Dwayne Matthews, a life and education strategist, who converges and shares knowledge on modern learning, disruptive technology, and the evolution of work. Dwayne will present Learning in the 21st century: Why it's different, why it matters and how to help children thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Registration opens Feb.5, 2018

Stay up-to-date!For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference

Time for school - A parent’s guide to reporting school absences

All parents/guardians of elementary students need to report their children's absences or late arrivals from school via our automated SafeArrival system. Whether it is an illness or another absence and you decide to keep your child home, please report your child’s absence via the SafeArrival system quickly and conveniently in one of the three ways:

o     Call an automated, interactive toll free number – 1-855-209-6155 (Please note – You must wait for confirmation)

o     Report absences online by accessing the SafeArrival parent portal on pdsb.schoolconnects.com

o     Download the SafeArrival mobile application for Apple and Android devices  

School doors remain locked during the school day

We wanted to share a reminder with our school community. The front doors of our school will be locked during the school day. This is part of the Safe Welcome program, originally announced by the Ontario Government in December 2012, for all elementary schools in Ontario. As part of this program, portable doors will also be locked during the school day.

A camera and buzzer unit is located by the front door and will be linked to a monitor in the main office of the school. Anyone who wishes access to the school once the school day has begun—parents, Peel board staff and visitors—will request entry by pressing the buzzer. Staff in the main office will be able to see and speak to the person, and release the door lock to provide access.

We have long had the practice for Peel schools that all outside doors, with the exception of the front door, would be locked during the school day. While we acknowledge that locking doors will not in itself prevent all risks to the safety of students and staff, it is an important step in providing an additional level of security.

Thank you for your continued support for the safety and well-being of all students and staff in our schools.

Nutritious lunches help children learn

Use Canada’s Food Guide to help your child get nutrients and energy needed to have a successful school day.

Try to give your child some choice about what to take for lunch. If possible, get your child involved in preparing meals.

Give your child a variety of healthy choices. Keeping your child interested in lunch is the first step to making sure it is eaten.

Make the food easy to eat. If it will take your child a few minutes to unwrap a sandwich, it may be skipped.

Resist the temptation to routinely send sweets, pop, chips and cookies in your child's lunch. Save treats for special occasions.

Try to avoid fast food or pre-packaged, convenience lunches, which are often high in salt and fat.

Do your best to role model healthy eating behaviours for your family.

To speak to a registered dietitian about healthy food choices, call EatRight Ontario at 1-877-510-5102.

For more information about the policy, visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healthyschools. If you have questions about how we are implementing the School Food and Beverage Policy, please call the school.

Help your family stay warm this winter

Canada Safety Council recommends the following tips for staying comfortable and preventing hypothermia when working or playing outdoors:

Wear a warm hat—most body heat is lost through the head. Children should keep an extra hat at school.

Wear layered clothing. Layers allow warm air to stay trapped around the body. Protect your feet and hands. Wear loose waterproof boots. If the boots have liners, carry an extra pair

to replace damp ones or take an extra pair of socks. Invest in thick socks to keep your feet warm. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Carry an extra pair of mittens to school, on outings, etc.

Prevent dehydration and exhaustion, which can lead to hypothermia. Drink plenty of fluids and pace yourself when doing vigorous activities.

Stay fit by exercising and eating well—people who are fit are less susceptible to hypothermia. If you stay indoors, avoid moving from a hot environment to a cold one. Excessive sweating caused

from an extreme change in temperature increases the risk of developing hypothermia. Eat high-energy food such as nuts and raisins. A balanced diet will also help keep you warm and

healthy in the winter. If you are travelling (on the road or in the wilderness) carry emergency supplies.

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 and television stations listed below and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9 BREAKFAST TELEVISION NEWS AM680CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1NEWSTALK1010 AM EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CITYPULSEGLOBAL NEWS CITY NEWS CTVCFRB – (Bell Media)

One of the following messages will be announced (highlighted text only):

Peel District School Board buses are cancelledThis 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 closedThis 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 cancelledThis 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 cancelledThis means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

Celebrating Faith and CultureJanuary 2018

DATE CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

Month of January K'aliyee & Spirit moon Aboriginal SpiritualityDecember 31 to Jan. 1 Ghambar Maidyarem ZoroastrianismJanuary 1 Temple Day BuddhismJanuary 1 and 14 (J) New Year’s Day Christianity and CanadaJanuary 1 Gantan-sai ShintoJanuary 2 Mahayana New Year BuddhismJanuary 3 Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday BuddhismJanuary 5 Birth of Guru Gobind Singh SikhismJanuary 6 and 19 (J) Epiphany or Feast of Theophany ChristianityJanuary 7 (J) Christmas ChristianityJanuary 8 Seijin-no-hi ShintoJanuary 13 Lohri HinduismJanuary 13 Maghi SikhismJanuary 14 Makar Sankranti HinduismJanuary 18 to February 5 Month of Sultán Bahá'íJanuary 21 World Religion Day Bahá'íJanuary 21 Vasant Panchami HinduismJanuary 24 Sakyamuni Buddha’s

EnlightenmentBuddhism