thornhill woods tribune - · pdf file · 2014-01-14at thornhill woods p.s., ......

Principal

Lynne Cohen

Acting Vice-Principal

Myrna Beck

Superintendent of Schools

Mr. J. Parappally

905-764-6830

Trustee

Mr. Joel Hertz

905-882-4179

Happy New Year to all our students and families!

We have all settled in with a productive and exciting beginning to the new school

year!

This is also the time of year when Junior and Intermediate students will want to

reflect on the goals they shared with parents during student-led conferences.

Primary students may also want to spend some time with parents setting goals

for the time period ending at March Break.

Children are at their best when they are well rested, well fed and physically fit.

Regular exercise and healthy food choices go a long way to improving children’s

ability to be alert and ready to learn. We encourage our students to participate

actively in all aspects of the curriculum - this includes being outside at recess

playing, running and having fun in the fresh air. Please refer to the Parent-

Student Handbook for expectations regarding both outdoor and indoor recess.

We monitor weather conditions and the YRDSB provides guidelines regarding

wind-chill factors. Aside from exceptional circumstances (supported by a medi-

cal note) students should come to school prepared to spend morning and lunch

recesses outdoors.

Research tells us that getting to school on time and regular attendance are

strong predictors of future academic success. At Thornhill Woods P.S., lessons

are well underway within five minutes of the bell, so it is essential that students

arrive at school by 8:45 a.m. so that they are ready to learn by 9:05 —your sup-

port makes a difference!

I am grateful to Mr. Lester for his partnership on during the Fall term. Retired

Principal Mrs. Myrna Beck will be returning as acting Vice Principal for most of

this term. Congratulations to Mrs. Mail on the arrival of a girl and Mrs. Herskovits

on the arrival of a boy! Our caretaker Mario is moving on as lead caretaker at

another York Region school. We wish him luck in his new position!

There are many exciting activities for our students and families coming up in the

next few months that will be sponsored by the School Council. The Annual

Boutique Night will take place in April, a movie morning is planned and a sports

evening in the summer. As well, we will continue with our Bingo Bagel Breakfast

and June BBQ traditions —all with the support of our amazing School Council.

For more information please contact the office, or, better still, please consider

attending the next School Council meeting on February 12th, 2014!

Inside this issue:

Winter 2014

Thornhill Woods Tribune

341 Thornhill Woods Drive, Thornhill, ON, L4J 8V6

Tel: (905) 326-8626 Fax: (905) 326-8057

Email: [email protected]

Check for updates regularly on our school website!

www.thornhillwoods.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

Office Message Pg.2

School Clothing Pg. 3

Office Reminders Pg. 3

Kindergarten Reg. Pg. 4

Message from Trustee Pg. 4

Important Dates Pg. 5

Safety Alerts Pg. 5

Kiss n Ride Pg. 5

Anti-Bullying Pg. 6

Touchstone Pg. 8

Principal

Lynne Cohen

Acting Vice-Principal

Myrna Beck

Superintendent of Schools

Mr. J. Parappally

905-764-6830

Trustee

Mr. Joel Hertz

905-882-4179

Please go to our website to view this important publication in its entirety!

Thornhill Woods Public School

COLD WEATHER IS HERE!!!!!!

A reminder that ALL students are

expected to go outside for recess.

Please ensure that your children are dressed and

appropriately dressed for winter conditions.

If your child is not well enough to be out at

recess, he/she is probably too ill to be at

school.

A change of clothes would be helpful for primary

children should they get wet during the day.

Please make sure all items are labeled with your

child’s name. Our “Lost & Found” bin fills up quickly.

School Council Meeting

Please join us!

in the school library

February 12th

7:00—8:30 p.m.

If conditions of the roads force cancellation of

school bus service, radio and TV stations will be

informed by 7:00 a.m.

Inclement Weather/Bus Cancellations

Parents have the right to keep their children at

home in severe weather conditions.

The school remains open at all times.

For those students who take the bus, please

remember that when buses are cancelled and if

you decide to drive in the morning, you will have to

make arrangements for your children to be picked

up at 3:20 p.m. If the buses are cancelled in the

morning, they will also be cancelled at the end of

the day.

Vulnerable Sector Screening!

Please remember that all volunteers in the school

(regardless of location/timeframe) must have a

copy of their YRP Vulnerable Sector Screening on

file in the office.


arts@baythorn !

Would your child enjoy learning the Ontario curriculum through the Arts? If so, the York Region District School Board offers an Elementary integrated Arts program at Baythorn Public School. Students currently in grades four and five may apply for the arts@baythorn program, where they will have the opportunity to explore the disci-plines of Dance, Drama, Visual Arts, and Music while meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for grades five, six, seven, and eight. To learn more about the arts@baythorn program, students and their families are invited to attend an information evening at Baythorn Public School on Thursday, January 16, 2014 @ 6:30 p.m. Applications will be on line via the school website and available after January 16, 2014 at www.baythorn.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca.

Please call us at Baythorn Public School (905) 889-7992, if you require further information.

Reminders from Mrs.

Green, Mrs. Fertman and

Mrs. Shadlyn

To assist us in maintaining an

efficient office, please help us by

doing the following:

If you must write a post-dated

cheque please HIGHLIGHT

the date so we are aware of it.

Call and leave a message when

your child is absent/late. As

per Board Policy #665.0 parents

are responsible for reporting all

absences and lateness to the

school in a timely manner.

Arrange pick ups and messages

regarding dismissal with your

child in the morning— we

cannot relay messages.

Please pack required utensils

along with your child’s lunch.

Please pack extra mittens, hats

and socks in your child’s

backpack.

Please remember no nuts or

sesame seeds in lunches.

Thank you!

Locked School Doors

Beginning February 3, all school doors, including the front

doors and doors to portables, will be locked 15 minutes after

the morning entry bell. The doors will remain locked for the

rest of the day. Anyone arriving at the school after that time

must buzz in and sign in at the main office.

Measures will also be put in place for parents/guardians to

buzz in and pick up students participating in before and af-

ter school programs. More detailed information will be avail-

able in January. Measures will also be put in place to lock

port-a-pack doors.

Our school continues to be a safe place where parent and

community member involvement is welcomed and encour-

aged. This additional step will enhance the measures we

already have in place, and ensure that all visitors sign in at the

main office upon arrival.

Parents are required to sign in at the office when they visit

the school. If entering beyond the office, all visitors must

wear a volunteer badge and be stationed in one area of the

school (e.g., a classroom). Parents may not accompany stu-

dents to lockers upstairs either before or after school, without

signing in at the office and requesting permission to do so.

Students wishing to retrieve items from lockers or classrooms

need to request permission from the office (not a caretaker)

and may not re-enter the school without permission. Parents

may leave lunch at “The Lunch Spot” in front of the office,

where labels are available and names can be recorded to be

read out during announcements.

If parents wish to visit with their children at lunchtime, they

must be signed out and signed back in at the end of lunch.

Parents may not wait in the hall to hand their children lunch

and to chat. If you are waiting for your child at lunch or at

the end of the day, please wait outside in good weather, or

between the two entrance doors. When numerous parents

wait in the hall outside the office, it becomes challenging to

identify everyone and therefore to ensure student safety.

http://www.baythorn.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/

PHYSICAL CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS

In order to prevent physical injury and because of our concern for student safety, students at Thornhill Woods Public School

are expected to avoid activities that involve aggressive play and touching. Activities that are not acceptable include wrestling,

piggy-backing, tripping, pushing, shoving, body-checking, poking, punching, and other forms of play in stairwells, hallways and

playgrounds. During recess breaks, students are able to play organized games such as basketball, soccer, touch football and

foot hockey as well as activities such as skipping and tag.

SCHOOL YARD EXPECTATIONS

On the playground, students will:

Play safely without the use of rough play (wrestling, piggy-backing, pushing/shoving,

body–checking, tripping, play fighting, tackling) or violence.

Parents of grade 8 students are invited to an Information Evening about

Grade 9 @ Stephen Lewis Secondary School.

Thursday, January 9, 2014, 7:00 p.m.

Please be aware Stephen Lewis Secondary School is closed to transfers.

The York Region District School Board does not permit imitation chocolate spread or peanut butter.

Please refrain from sending this products to school. As always, please be aware that sesame and nuts are

life-threatening allergens for many of our students.


Junior/Senior Kindergarten Registration for September 2014

Children born in 2010 are eligible to attend Junior Kindergarten in September, 2014. Children born in 2009,

and not currently attending public school, are eligible for Senior Kindergarten in September.

Documents required for registration include:

Proof of child’s age (birth certificate/passport)

Proof of residency (for child and parent/guardian)

Citizenship and immigration status (where applicable)

Direction of school support form

Proof of address

Registrations will be accepted on a first come,

f i r s t served bas is s tar t ing on

January 17, 2014 and continuing from that

date forward. If you require further details,

please telephone the school or for more

information please visit the YRDSB website:

www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

Important Dates

Keeping our School Safe!


Fundraising by the Junior Division

During the month of December, the junior division, led

by junior teachers, put forth an incredible effort to moti-

vate all our students to donate non-perishable food

items for the Vaughan Food Bank. Teachers also

created authentic mathematics lessons related to the

food collection, for example, number (quantity, shar-

ing, average, etc.) and measurement (volume, weight,

etc.) problems. Students were responsible for planning

and organizing the collection of food, communicating

with the Vaughan Food Bank, as well as creating and

reading daily announcements . In addition, one class

arranged a used book and poster sale to raise money

to add to the food donation. The juniors have big plans

for the entire year, proving that they are indeed

responsible citizens!

Kiss ‘n Ride

Please refer to the Parent-Student Handbook for

detailed information.

Remember that every parking spot is designated for

a staff member. You may only park in the Handicap

spot if you have an official permit.

There is no stopping/parking along the curb at

dismissal time. If you choose to drive onto the lot,

you must keep circulating until your child is at the

main door. You may not park along the curb and

wait for your child, nor may

students cross the roadway to a

waiting car. Health & Safety

regulations do not permit any

staff members to stand in the

roadway to direct traffic. Please

drive responsibly - we are all

doing our best to keep ALL our

students/your children safe.

Anaphylaxis : If your child has requires an epi-pen, please ensure that they keep one on their person at all times

and that there is a second epi-pen in the office.

Washroom Procedures Grades 1-3: Students in Grades 1-3 will use the facilities in pairs. Their classroom

teacher will help students to choose the appropriate partner for washroom visits. All classes in Grades 1-8 util-

ize a sign–in and sign-out procedure whenever they leave to room to use the facilities.

Sign In: If you are visiting a teacher for an appointment or you are a volunteer, you must sign in and wear a

visitor badge . This is standard YRDSB protocol and must be followed to keep students safe.

Supervision: Yard supervision begins at 8:45 a.m. —please do not drop off your children before this time .

January 6 First Day of Classes April 18 Good Friday-no classes

January 9 Stephen Lewis SS Info Night 7:00pm April 21 Easter Monday

January 16 Westmount CI Info Night 7:00 pm April 30 Boutique Night

January 17 P.A. Day—no classes for students—Babysitting Course Offered

January 14-17 Lice Lady

February 5 Grad photos

February 12 School Council

February 17 Family Day

March 10-14 March Break

THORNHILL WOODS PUBLIC SCHOOL

OUR TOUCHSTONE

Smiles make our school brighter

Optimism allows us to shine a positive light on our community

DREAM

We accept each other for who we are

We respect each other in how we think

We support each other in what we do

BELIEVE

Aiming to do our best, we set our sights on the stars and accomplish our goals

We put our best effort into anything we choose to do

Not afraid to take risks, there is no limit to our future or our present

ACHIEVE

We value the environment and our place in the world

Our words and actions have an impact on us all

We are committed to stamp out bullying; we feel safe at Thornhill Woods

We say what we mean and mean what we do

We are Timberwolves

Each month we focus on one aspect of the Touchstone. During daily announcements, we discuss what that trait

looks like, sounds like, and feels like and teachers keep the discussion going in the classrooms. On the last day of

each month, teachers send a list to the office of students who demonstrate the character trait and the circum-

stances in which it was demonstrated. We then announce the list of recognized students during announcements.

Mrs. Shadlyn creates certificates for those students who are recognized and the certificates are posted on the

designated bulletin board in the foyer. Please ask your child about the monthly Touchstone focus!

Thornhill Woods Tribune

Bayview Secondary, Richmond Hill H.S. , Langstaff (French Immersion) and

Emily Carr S.S. are closed to transfers for the 2014-15 school year.