NOVEMBER 2016 NEWSLETTER

Peel District School Board

Dolphin Senior Public School 18 Brookside Drive, Mississauga, ON L5M 1H3

TEL: 905-826-4247 FAX: 905-826-9931

http://schools.peelschools.org/1553

“Our Mission is making a difference for all students.”

P. Wilson Principal C. Yorrick Vice-Principal T. Maxwell Office Manager G. Solomon-Henry Superintendent of Schools 905-366-8800 R. Williams Trustee, Ward 5 905-814-6180 R. Crocker Trustee, Ward 6/11 416-528-1312 N. Dakroub Baig Trustee, Ward 9/10 647-707-7320 Transportation www.stopr.ca 905-890-6000 Attendance Check 1-855-209-6155 SafeArrival Parent Portal at pdsb.schoolconnects.com

Dear Dolphin Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you doing well! As usual, Dolphin has been a busy building with many terrific learning opportunities, engaging lessons, fun climate and community building events! Kudos to our staff and the student leadership teams for their enthusiasm and planning to continue making Dolphin a terrific school to learn and grow in!

Recently, the staff at Dolphin participated in a professional development session where we had an in-depth look at Peel’s Comprehensive Numeracy Strategy. Specifically, staff worked on deepening their mathematical content knowledge for teaching and intentional instructional practices such as developing rich learning and assessment tasks for students. We have also been working with the Critical Thinking Consortium to continue our focus on nurturing quality thinking in our students. Although it feels like we just started, it has been a terrific year of learning and working together and I can say that this work is evident in each and every classroom at Dolphin!

A huge shout out to all of our students and families for their enthusiasm and dedication to helping others. So far this year we have raised close to $500 for Terry Fox, over a $1000 for Hurricane Matthew Relief and there are literally hundreds of non perishable food items in our hallway from our food drive! Way to go Dolphin!

In our Recognition Assembly on Friday October 28th, I was able to share with our students a few areas of growth that we need to work on as a student community. There has been a lot of complaints around inappropriate use of social media. To be specific, many of our students participate in private chat groups, such as Instagram, while at home. There are times when the discussions are inappropriate. Students report this to staff at Dolphin and because it has an impact on our school community we have to investigate and work with families and students. The private chats sometimes have threats of violence, sexual tones and profanity. I would suggest that if your child is allowed to use social media accounts that you have ongoing conversations to remind them of not participating in such discussions and to ‘log off’ and walk away if others are participating in this type of discussions. Let’s work together to ensure all of our students feel safe when using social media and safe at school.

On Wednesday November 9th at 6 p.m., we will be hosting our Feeder School Night. We will also be sharing information about the new Peel Region High Performers Program that will start at Dolphin next year. Grade 8 parents are invited to our library on the same night (and time) to hear from our Guidance Counsellor, Mr. Jaworski who will be speaking about Grade 8 transition to Secondary School.

Our next School Council meeting is on Tuesday November 29th at 6p.m. I hope you can join us!

Phil Wilson

Principal’s Message

twitter.com/DolphinSeniorPS

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NEWS FROM GUIDANCE

On Wednesday, November 9th from 6:30-7:30 p.m.,

Mr. Jaworski will be giving a presentation on

transitioning to Secondary School. The session will

deal specifically with registration procedures,

diploma requirements, course selection and

possible secondary school destinations and will

culminate with a question and answer period.

From November 14th to December 2nd , our grade 8

students will be choosing their high school courses

through My Blueprint. All grade 8 students have

been on My Blueprint and are familiar with the

course selection process. They will be picking

courses for their local feeder secondary school,

either Mississauga S.S. or Streetsville S.S. A course

selection form will also be sent home with teacher

recommendations which needs to be reviewed by

parents and returned to the homeroom teacher. If

your child will be attending a Catholic high school

for Grade 9 (a letter was sent home requiring

parent signature), these students will not be picking

courses, but rather would be indicating ‘Not

Returning’ in My Blueprint. It is the responsibility of

these families to contact the Catholic high school to

find out about the registration process.

The window for applying to a Regional Choice

Program is from November 9th to November 25th.

Students applying for any of these programs will

still complete course selections at their local high

school. Some secondary schools in Peel also offer

Explore High Skills Programs - these specialized

programs that allow students to focus their learning

in an area of interest. To view a list of Explore High

Skills programs please visit the website at

http://www.peelschools.org/schools/

informationnights/Pages/default.aspx

The application window is the same as the Regional

Choice programs i.e., November 9th-November 25th.

On November 7th, our Community Police Officer will

be making a presentation on Internet Safety to our

Grade 6 students. The Internet Safety program

revisits the standard safety rules of the Internet. At

the end of the session, students will understand the

different roles of bullies, victims and bystanders in

internet-based bullying and what they can do to

stop it. Students will also learn about the risks and

benefits of e-mail, chat rooms and instant

messaging are discussed with a special emphasis on

the deceptive and dangerous potential of on-line

“friends” and tricks sometimes used to get kids to

meet off-line. They will learn about the criminal

consequences within a school setting and the

responsibility of being “good internet citizens”.

Please follow up with your child after the

presentation.

On November 23rd, the Grade 7 students will have

their presentation on Youth and the Law. This

session is an introduction to the Youth Criminal

Justice Act and students will be understand the

consequences for criminal behavior. Students will

understand the unique role of the police in their

community and how their behaviour and actions

control the context of this relationship. An

emphasis on making “GOOD CHOICES” will be con-

veyed. Please follow up with your child after the

presentation.

Dolphin will be offering Home Alone and First Aid

courses on December 1st, 3rd, and 8th from 2:30 –

4:00 p.m. These courses cover ‘kids at home all by

myself’ information, life skills and the Canadian Red

Cross First Aid for Kids course material, and will be

taught through interactive activities. The programs

will give your child the confidence and knowledge

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to handle emergencies, but more importantly rec-

ognize unsafe situations and know what to do. The

topics covered in the First Aid course are: What’s in

a first aid kit; calling EMS; emergency action for

scrapes, cuts, wounds, nose bleeds, impaled ob-

jects, burns, choking, allergies – epipens, and poi-

sons. There is a cost for this course and additional

information will be sent home.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr.

Jaworski or visit the Guidance link on the Dolphin

website.

HELP YOUR TEEN PLAN FOR GRADE 9 COURSES SELECTIONS

Our current grade 8 students will soon be selecting their courses for grade 9. Before they do, we want to ensure that they have the opportunity to con-sult with their teachers, guidance counsellor and their parents.

As our partners, families are encouraged to help prepare their teens for course selection. We encourage you to become familiar with the process by creating a myBlueprint account. Every parent and student (grades 7-12) can have access to myBlueprint features such as:

High School – plan courses, track progress toward

graduation, and instantly identify post-secondary

eligibility for opportunities in every pathway

Post-Secondary – compare detailed information on

apprenticeships, college programs, university

programs and workplace sectors

Who Am I – complete surveys (including Learning

Styles, Myers-Briggs Personality, Holland

Interests, Knowledge, Motivations and

Compatibility)

Portfolios – create several portfolios (e.g. Career

Portfolio) and share them with parents, teachers,

or future employers. It’s simple to add work you

have completed in myBlueprint or add pictures

and videos

Job Search – find real-world job and volunteering

postings that relate to occupations of interest

Goals – add interactive SMART goals and action

plans

Resumes & Cover Letters – record experiences,

build a resume, write a cover letter

Occupations– compare comprehensive information

on occupations

Money – build a budget to track income/expenses

Additionally, parents/guardians and students can review the Chart Your Course document, Peel District School Board’s common course calendar (found at www.makingmyway.ca). This guide will help you understand the course selection process and provide information on the courses and programs offered in Peel secondary schools.

The grade 9 course selection process will be open from Nov. 14 to Dec.2, 2016. If you have questions or are looking for course suggestions, please contact your teen’s teacher or guidance counsellor.

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DOLPHIN LIBRARY LEARNING COMMONS

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Dolphin Library LC is now fully equipped with a

green screen, tripods, lights, and iPads. Students

can create cool pictures and videos with amazing

backgrounds! Students can ask their teachers to

sign out the library in the afternoons, or check with

Mr. Steeves for availability. Remember to smile!

Scholastic Book Fair

After a very successful book fair in May, Scholastic

is back at Dolphin this fall during the week of the

music concert (December 5-9). The book fair will be

open from 11:30-2:30 (Monday to Thursday) and

11:30-12:06 on Friday. There will also be a parent

night event on Wednesday, December 7, from 5:00-

7:00 (before the Winter Concert). Watch for an-

nouncements closer to the date. Parents/guardians

interested in helping are encouraged to contact Mr.

Steeves at 905-826-4247, x106 (or by email at

P0072222@pdsb.org)

Math Game Library

There is a new addition to the Dolphin Library LC:

students are now able to check out a variety of

math games including Rush Hour, Laser Maze, and

Robot Turtles. Practice your math skills and develop

your problem solving skills at home by signing out

one of the many games now on display. You could

even make a family game night out of it! Come

check it out at the Dolphin Library LC!

Library Club

The Library Club is planning a variety of activities

this year, including audio, green screen, and stop

motion video recording (November to December),

basic coding with Ozobots and Sphero (January),

the Romare Bearden Collage Contest (February),

Blackout Poetry (April) and more! Library Club will

also run an extensive Forest of Reading program,

including makerspaces, voting, and more from

January to April. Library Club meets once or twice a

week at lunch (11:30-12:06) in the Library LC. Check

for announcements in the morning and as posted

on ‘the Reading Tree’ outside of the library.

Library Helpers

The Library helpers program offers students a

chance to take a leadership role by assisting in the

library with circulation, reshelving, and other

activities. Students are to check with their period 4

teacher before coming to the library for their shift.

There is a schedule posted on the door to the

library. Thanks to everyone who offered to help!

Check out the Dolphin Library LC website at

https://sites.google.com/a/pdsb.net/dolphin-

library-lc/ (or use the Library link on the Dolphin

homepage).

There is also a Library Club myclass site available

through the Peel BYOD site (ID and password are

both ‘parent’), and you can follow us on Twitter at

#DolphinSeniorPS

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WINTER CONCERT

Dolphin’s musicians are working hard to prepare for

the upcoming Winter Concert which will take place

in the gym on Wednesday, December 7th at 7pm.

We look forward to seeing many parents, family

and friends.

Performers will receive an information letter at the

end of November to outline the procedures for the

event, these letters will include details for final re-

hearsals and performance attire. We will have a

second concert presentation to Dolphin students

and staff during the regular school hours of

Thursday, December 8th. If your child is a member

of a Dolphin band or choir and cannot attend one

of these concert performances, please advise either

Mrs. Suidan or Ms. Burnett with a note or phone

message before the end of November.

GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

Dolphin’s Girls’ Flag Football team travelled to Mentor College on Friday October 14th to compete in South Peel’s Division 3 Flag Football Tournament. The girls put together an impressive showing, coming first in their pool to earn an

automatic berth in the Semi-Finals. The girls’ squared off against Green Glade in the semis, where they continued their exceptional play to win easily and advance to the finals with a perfect record. In the championship game, they played a lightning fast Homelands team. The game stayed even throughout the first half, with both teams playing excellent defense and not allowing the ball to advance over half. In the end, Homelands managed to break through to score a touchdown in the game’s final minutes to secure the champion-ship.

Mr. Anderson and Mr. Manzon would like to thank all the girls for their hard work during practise and their excellent conduct at the tournament. Way to go girls, you made Dolphin proud!

SR. BOYS VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

Congratulations to our Senior Boys for their 3rd place finish at the Fallingbrook Classic. Dolphin Public School feels very proud of your achievement!

Also congratulations to the Senior Boys who played in the volleyball tournament at the Thomas Street Middle School. We would like to thank you for your tremendous effort and enthusiasm. Keep up the great work!

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SPOOKY BAKE SALE

Thanks to Class 678 for organizing and baking all the lovely and tasty treats for our Spooky Bake Sale. All the goodies looked scary but were super delicious and surely got us into the Halloween spirit!

Thank you to Mrs. Aftab, Ms. Albergeria and students from Class 80E for helping with all the preparations.

We are off to another great year of 180:Fuse here at Dolphin! We kicked off with our Carnival Event on October 22 and we had over 100 Dolphin students in attendance! We had a very special appearance from Natalie Wideman, a gold medalist on the Senior Women’s National Softball Team, who encouraged the students and brought out her medal for the youth to see! 180:Fuse will be back at Dolphin on Saturday November 19th, from 6:15pm to 8:30pm. Stay tuned for more details!”

#ChooseAction on Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

The Peel District School Board will recognize Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week during the week of Nov. 20 to 26, 2016.

This year, we ask our Peel community to ‘#ChooseAction to Be the Difference’ in their classes, offices, schools, communities or world, in order to make these spaces better places for everyone. The Peel Board would like to hear about the big and small actions, the pledges, the promises and the attitudes that our Peel community value, and ask that you take a moment to share your #ChooseAction moments on social media.

Across the Peel board, schools use many programs and initiatives to prevent bullying and to intervene when bullying happens. Though the programs vary, their messages are consistent. Students are taught to:

define bullying

identify forms of bullying

identify the shifting roles in bullying relationships, for example the person who bullies, the target, the bystander or the trusted advocate

determine how to safely “choose action” to prevent and intervene in bullying & harassment

understand that bullying is a relationship problem with relationship solutions

determine positive ways to interact with others in an accepting, inclusive way

demonstrate character attributes and be a leader to help maintain positive and safe school communities

Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week is one of the key items contained in Bill 13: The Accepting Schools Act, that came into effect on Sept. 1, 2012. For more information, visit: www.peelschools.org/aboutus/safeschools/bullying/ or www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/prevention.html.

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Subscribe to receive Peel Board news

Take advantage of our electronic subscription service to automatically receive updates from the Peel District School Board. Subscribing is easy ¾ just visit our website at www.peelschools.org and click on the subscription link under "Quick Links."

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 posted on our Twitter (@Peelschools) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/peelschools) accounts, as well as, on www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca.

You can also subscribe to receive:

News releases Keep up with the news at the Peel board. Subscribe to receive Peel board news releases to learn more about board news and school events.

Board agendas Learn more about Peel board meetings by subscribing to receive agendas. Meetings of the board are open to the public and are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.

Board highlights Briefing is a newsletter with highlights of decisions made by trustees at board meetings. It is sent out on the second and fourth Thursday of every month and immediately following any special board meetings. Job postings for non-teaching staff Learn about each new non-teaching job that is posted on the Peel board's Job Board.

Parent resources help you support your child’s learning

At the Peel board, our mission is to inspire success, confidence and hope in each child. There is no doubt that families play a vital role in helping us achieve this goal. As our partner in education, we hope you'll stay connected to your child's learning throughout his or her entire school experience.

Visit www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild to explore all resources available to parents. There you will find easy-to-navigate buttons that connect families to tip sheets and web pages on a number of different topics, including math, homework, special education, EQAO and mental health.

*NEW* COMMUNITY CORNER

Stay up-to-date with community-based opportunities

The Peel District School Board is pleased to intro-duce an electronic resource page on www.peelschools.org called, Community Corner, which contains links to information and resources in the community that may be of interest to students and their families. This site replaces our previous method of sending promotional materials about community clubs, camps, contests, fundraisers and events home with students on a regular basis.

How you can access Community Corner Visit the link at www.peelschools.org/parents/communitycorner

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Bus cancellation & 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 posted at www.peelschools.org, school websites and www.stopr.ca. Information will also be available on Twitter (@Peelschools), Facebook (www.facebook.com/peelschools) or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9 CHUM AM1050 CFTR AM680

CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1

NEWSTALK 1010 AM EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860

FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107

CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CTV

BREAKFAST TELEVISION GLOBAL NEWS CITYPULSE

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

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 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 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 Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

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Train More. Rehearse More. Learn More. New Peel District School Board program offers flexible school options for student athletes, artists

Does your child/teen have an intense sports or arts training and competition schedule that makes it difficult to attend school regularly? The Peel District School Board’s new Peel Region High Performers Program will offer flexible timetabling to accommodate student athletes and artists with demanding practice, competition, rehearsal and/or performance schedules.

Peel Region High Performers Program will open in September 2017. Information nights will be offered as follows:

Applications are now available at: www.peelschools.org/HighPerformers.

Grades Information Night Location

4 to 5 Nov. 2, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Britannia Public School 1145 Swinbourne Dr. in Mississauga

6 to 8 Nov. 9, 2016 at 6 p.m. Dolphin Sr. Public School 18 Brookside Dr. in Mississauga

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 Upcoming Dates to Remember:

December 2 – Recognition Assembly 12:30 pm

December 7 – Winter Music Concert 7:00 pm

December 20 – Skating (Gr. 6)

December 21 – Skating (Gr. 7)

December 22 – Skating (Gr. 8)

December 24 to January 6 – Winter Break

Day 1

Day 2

Day 5 Day 4 Day 3 Day 6

Day 1 Day 6 Day 5

Day 3 Day 1

Day 2

Day 4

Day 6

Day 5 Day 3 Day 2

Day 2

Remembrance

Day Assembly

10:15 am

‘Take Our Kids

to Work’ Day

Photo Retake

Day

Pizza Day

Parent/Teacher

Interviews

(evening)

Parent/Teacher

Interviews

(morning)

no school for

students

Global 180

Fuse 6 pm.

Immunization

Clinic

(Gr. 7 & 8 Girls only)

School Council

6 pm.

Ottawa trip

information

meeting 6:30 pm

(tentative date)

Peel Custodial

Appreciation Day

Day 4

Day 5 Day 4

Pizza Day

Pizza Day

Pizza Day

Skills Canada

Presentation

to Grade 8s

Sr. Boys

Volleyball @

Dolphin

Sr. Boys

Volleyball @

Provincial

Class 703 to visit

Viva Retirement

Ctr.

Gr. 6 Police Presentation (Internet Safety)

Sr. Boys Volleyball

@ St. Joseph SS

Information Night:

Gr. 5 Feeder Schools

Peel Region High

Performers Program

Gr. 8 Guidance

Presentation 6pm

Gr. 6s trip to

Second City

(Toronto)

Jr. Girls

Volleyball

@ Dolphin Jr. Boys Volleyball @ Dolphin

Gr. 7 Police Presentation (Youth and Law)

ELC classes on

trip to

Woodlands SS

Sr. Boys

Volleyball

League @

Lisgar

Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week

Progress Report go home today