Aurora Grove Gazette

September 2014

Aurora Grove Public School Gazette

Pr incipa l : Donna Ford Super intendent: Gayle Brocklebank -Vincent Trustee: Peter Adams - Luchowski

905 727-4435 905 884-4477 905 713-1729

LEARNING & TEACHING Staff Changes Welcome back to another school year! Aurora Grove Public School has been fortunate to be staffed with skilled educators and educational workers who care for your child’s education. We have new members of the Aurora Grove PS team due, in part, to the French Immersion program underway at the school. We look forward to the strong contribution the staff will make to the well-being and learning of all Aurora Grove PS students.

Staff Program

Mr. Peters Caretaking Team

Ms. O’Brien

Mr. Sedore – joined AGPS in June 2014

Mrs. Hayworth School Office Team

Mrs. Brandon – now with us full time

D. Ford School Administrator

Mrs. MacMartin (Primary, Junior), Mrs. Deptuck Special Education Team

Ms. Schuster (intermediate), Mrs. De Souza

Mr. Loudaros, Ms. Stockman, Mrs. Robinson – return from maternity leave Ms. Morison, Mrs. Ludlow, Mrs. Savage

Special Programs (i) Autism Spectrum Disorder Team (ii) Social Adjustment Team

Mme Lombardi, Mme Umnikova, Mme Rosenberg – new staff! Mme Lamensa, Mme Lemyre, Mme. Koros M. Carpani, Mlle Burey – new staff!

French Immersion Team (i) Grade one (ii) Grade two (iii) Grade one and two coverage teachers

Mrs. Brouckxon Mr. Zunker Mrs. Dickson Mrs. Gagnon

The Arts (i) Visual Arts – primary and junior; library (ii) Visual Arts - intermediate (iii) Vocal & Instrumental music – junior and intermediate; Second language (English) teacher (iv) Second language (French) teacher – junior and intermediate

Mrs. Wolf, Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Vanbemmel, Mrs. Drodge, Ms. Abballe

Kindergarten Team

Mrs. Cresswell, Mrs. Thatcher, Ms. Cowl – return from short term leave

Primary Team

Mrs. Devane – return from maternity leave; Mr. Macey, Mr. Mako

Junior Team

Mr. Zunker, Mrs. Georgacopoulos, Mrs. Zebic Intermediate Team

We offer best wishes to Mr. Foster and Ms. Davis who are working at different locations; and to Mrs. Milley who is now retired. One of our community partners in the building is York Professional Day Care which provides before and after care services to many of our families. Also known as ‘Kids Club’, this program and service also has new staff we’d like you to know about:

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Staff Program

Miss Fifi Miss Kelli Miss Shima Miss Laura Mr Brendan for a few weeks

Kids Club grades 1-6

Kids Club grades 1-6

Kids Club Kindergarten

‘Kids Club’ runs in the Staffroom. ‘Kids Club’ – Kindergarten runs in room 127.

Use of Personal Electronic Devices The expectations for students who are permitted to bring to school and use electronic devices are the following:

no devices are to be brought to school*

students found using personal electronic devices without teacher knowledge or permission will be required to hand over the device to the teacher immediately; personal devices will be released to the parent at the end of the school day from the school office

parents are reminded to communicate with their child by contacting the school office rather than texting child directly so that the school can appropriately attend to matters of student safety and well-being

neither the school nor the school board are responsible for the loss or damage to personal electronic devices as these are not school board issued learning materials

* Teachers in grades four to eight review the ‘Bring your own device’ (BYOD) policy with their students. The purpose of this policy is for students with parental awareness to enter into an agreement of the intentional use of technology which may include personal devices to support their learning at school. The purpose of these expectations is to ensure that all students remain focused on the learning engagements as they develop respectful and safe use of personal technology during school hours. The school staff appreciates your understanding and co-operation with regard to this matter of communication and student safety.

ENVIRONMENT, ENGAGEMENT & WELL-BEING\EQUITY & INCLUSIVITY Health & Safety Week The York Region District School Board is committed to providing safe learning environments for all students. To support this endeavour, the week of September 29 - October 3, 2014 has been designated “YRDSB Safety Awareness Week”. All public elementary and secondary schools across the region will be featuring activities and events that highlight various facets of safety at school and in the community. In addition, and as part of the Safety Week activities, all schools in the York Region District School Board will be conducting emergency preparedness exercises. All YRDSB schools will be implementing the required lockdown and hold-and-secure school emergency responses (this is taking the place of our former Code Red response). Lockdown: A school emergency response to the presence of an armed intruder or other similar violent threat within the school. Hold-and-Secure: Protective measures applied in school buildings under circumstances of security concern due to threats to school occupants from events occurring near the school. The purpose of the lockdown and hold-and-secure responses is to minimize risk to students and staff and to facilitate the work of emergency personnel in the case of a serious emergency for which school evacuation is not a practical solution. In advance of the drill, staff and students review protocols and expectations during an emergency with all staff, students, and affected partners. Safe Play...Always In order to prevent physical injury and because of our concern for student safety, students at Aurora Grove P.S. 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 and soccer as well as activities such as skipping and tag. In order to help our students with this issue, and encourage respectful student interaction, we follow a “HANDS OFF” understanding at the school.

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Creating Safe & Healthy Schools: Allergy Alert Staff and parents are responsible for creating safe and healthy environments for students. This is an additional challenge for schools where children with allergies attend, especially life-threatening allergies. Every precaution must be taken to create a risk-free environment. To minimize potentially fatal allergic reactions (as there are implications for the whole school, not just individual classrooms), it is important that parents communicate a life-threatening allergy or medical condition to the school as soon as they are aware of it. Notify the principal and your child’s teacher so that steps are taken to create accurate records and inform staff of the established protocol.

We Are A Nut Sensitive School - no peanuts or nuts

Healthy & Safe Classroom Celebrations We will continue with our Health & Safety Classroom Celebration program again this year. For those parents/ guardians who wish to acknowledge their child’s birthday in the classroom by supplying a food item, please feel free to bring: air popped popcorn, baked chips or pretzels, cheese cubes with whole wheat crackers or fruit (e.g., fruit kabobs). For other classroom celebrations (Halloween, Winter Break, Valentine’s Day, End of Year) considerations still need to be made to promote healthy eating practices by bringing in a balance of foods (“treats” and healthy food choices). Please remember that we are a Peanut/ Nut Sensitive School - no peanut or nut products at AGPS! Thank you for your cooperation with this health and safety initiative. School Assistants at Aurora Grove Just a reminder - our School Assistants are staff members, too! Administration is confident in our School Assistants’ abilities to handle situations as they arise. They fulfill an essential role and as such, students are to give them the same respect as they would to teachers, caretakers and educational assistants. (Please remember to address school-related issues with School Assistants at school during school hours). Freedom of Information Throughout the school year, your child’s identity and other information may be shared beyond the classroom and the school (e.g., fundraising events that may attract media attention, recordings/displays for events such as Arts Nights, seasonal celebrations, etc.). Please notify the school in writing if you wish to restrict the use of your child’s personal information (e.g., display of work in the hall, photos, interviews by press, etc.). Thank you.

Board’s Right to Search and Seizure Students and parents are reminded of the Board’s right to search and seizure where reasonable concern over the presence of materials deemed inappropriate for the school environment are suspected, and that appropriate consequences based on the Board’s Caring & Safe Schools Policy will be initiated. If in doubt regarding the appropriateness of particular items for the school environment, students and /or parents should contact the school principal.

Valuables The school and school Board will not be held liable for theft or damage to personal property. Therefore, parents and students are strongly encouraged to leave all valuables at home. Card collections are not to be brought to school. The use of personal electronic devices at school requires a notice from the classroom teachers that is signed by the parent\guardian. Note: Any theft or damage to personal items will not be the responsibility of the school or YRDSB. Taking Care of Our School Please remember to make full use of our waste and recycling containers conveniently placed both in and outside the school. We are working hard to be good caretakers of our community. Remember; every little thing we do contributes to the whole of who we are. Lets strive to create a better place because you\we have been there.

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Reporting to the Main Office We continue to require that all visitors report to the main office upon entering the school. This step will assist us in securing a comfortable and safe environment for all children at Aurora Grove P.S. Front doors are now locked 15 minutes following the morning bell, so you will need to ‘buzz-in’ using the call box at the main doors. If you are picking up your child at the end of the day, please wait in the front foyer of the school or, preferably, outside, where your child will meet you. If you are visiting with the expectation of accessing the building, you are required to sign-in and wear a visitor badge issued by the office staff. This will assist staff in redirecting unidentified visitors to the office. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us to provide a safe and secure environment for all students at Aurora Grove P.S.

Early Dismissal of Students When a student needs to leave early for an appointment, a note from a parent or guardian is required. Adults picking the child up are asked to report to the office and sign the child out in the appropriate binder. Playground Supervision After School We love to see the community using the playground after school. However, parents are responsible for the supervision of their own children who stay to play on the yard after our 3:30 pm dismissal. There is no supervision by staff at that time. Just a Few More Reminders * Please encourage your children to treat school materials with care. They are very expensive to replace. Students who lose or damage school materials (beyond normal wear and tear) will be required to reimburse the school. * Label your children’s clothes. Every year large amounts of clothing and footwear are unclaimed in our lost and found. * Call the school office each day your child is absent from school. * Join us at our School Council meetings. They are open to all parents.

ENGAGING PARENTS, FAMILY & COMMUNITY There are many ways parents, family, and community members can connect with their child’s school to enhance their day-to-day well-being and learning experiences. Parent Involvement Committees enhance parent contributions at the regional level in support of student well-being, learning and achievement, and they act as a direct link between parents, the director of education and the trustees. School Councils are responsible for:

• supporting and promoting parent, family and community engagement in support of student learning;

• participating in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan;

• communicating with, and providing ongoing advice to, the principal matters pertaining to the school; and

• collaborating with the principal to coordinate community resources that support student learning needs. School Policy 262.0

Meetings usually occur monthly. They are held in the library beginning at 7pm. Nomination process: To be a voting member of Council, look out for the nomination form sent home at the beginning of the school year. Fill it in and hand it in at the office. You need to be present at the election meeting for your nomination to be valid. You will be notified of that meet date. Participants do not have to be a voting member of Council to participate in Council meetings or committees. All parents are welcome to attend any meetings.

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School Council activities: School Council involves keeping in touch with what is going on at the school, and with general information about the school. Concerns or ideas regarding the school as a whole are items that can be scheduled for discussion at council meetings. School Council is not, however, a personal platform for child specific items, issues or concerns. It is a team of volunteer parents and community members who want to make a difference at the school working alongside AGPS School administration to get things done, and positively impact our children’s school experience according to the school improvement plan. School Council membership: School Council has 12 voting members and an unlimited amount of non-voting parent participants. The executive positions include: Chair - must have served on council for at least 1 school year Vice Chair OR Co-Chair - should have in interest in taking on the chair position in the future Co - Secretary (2) - takes minutes of the meetings Treasurer - keeps track of expenses and returns of council Community Rep - a non AGPS parent, one who represents the community All positions will be voted on at the October 7th meeting, which will take place in the school library at 7pm. School council is always interested in widening their membership.

SEPTEMBER SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION NOTICE

During each summer Student Transportation Services of York Region (STSYR) may make adjustments to bus route schedules to accommodate new students and/or new school openings. As a result some students may experience changes in their bus route schedule and/or bus route number. If you wish to reconfirm bus stop service for September, please access www.schoolbuscity.com beginning the third week in August. If you are unable to find the information you require, please consult your school. During the first two weeks of school, students should arrive at their bus stop ten minutes early. After this, it is anticipated each bus route will develop its regular routine and service times. Transportation Eligibility In accordance with Board Policies, transportation is provided for students who live within their Home School attendance area and outside their grade appropriate Non-Transportation Zone. As indicated below, transportation eligibility will change throughout a student’s school career: All YCDSB and YRDSB students in grades JK-3 who live within 1.2 km of their school are not eligible for transportation. All YCDSB and YRDSB students in grades 4-8 who live within 1.6 km of their school are not eligible for transportation. All YCDSB students in grades 9-12 who live within 4.8 km of their school in a transit served area are not eligible for transportation. All YRDSB students in grades 9-12 who live within a transit served area are not eligible for transportation.

Parents of students entering grade four are encouraged to determine their child’s transportation eligibility and to make the necessary arrangements should their child no longer qualify for transportation.

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Aurora Grove Public School 415 Stone Road

Aurora ON L4G 6Z5 Phone:(905) 727-4435

Fax:(905) 726-9593 E-mail:aurora.grove.ps@yrdsb.ca

We’re on the Web!

http://www.auroragrove.ps.ca/

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Parents of students entering grade 9 who are eligible for transportation may review bus stop information by visiting www.schoolbuscity.com . Grade 9 students not eligible for transportation who wish to obtain York Region Transit information should visit their web site at www.yrt.ca or phone 1-866-668-3978.

Looking Ahead... September 29 - October 2 - Scholastic Book Fair

September 30 - Meet the Teacher Night 6:30 – 8pm

October 2 - Area Cross-Country Meet

October 7 - PHOTO Day (Gym closed)

October 8 - Regional Cross Country Meet (rain date Oct 9)

October 13 - Thanksgiving Day - School Closed

October 16 - Milk Program begins

October 27 - P A Day - No School for students

Please check out our newsletters online at http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/auroragrove.ps/

Under the ‘News & Events’ tab All future newsletters will be posted online. Paper copies will only be sent home if a written request is made to the Office.

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

LABOUR DAY

2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 Day 5 16 Day 1

Grade 7 Hep B and

Grade 8 girls HPV

17 Day 2 18 Day 3 19 Day 4 20

21 22

P A Day -

No classes

23 Day 5

First Day of

Reorganized classes

24 Day 1

Terry Fox Run/Walk

In afternoon

25 Day 2 26 Day 3 27

28

Safety Week

29 Day 4

Scholastic Book Fair

Karate Kids starts

30 Day 5

Scholastic Book Fair

Meet the Teacher

6:30 - 8:00 pm

September 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Safety Week

1 Day 1

Scholastic Book Fair

2 Day 2

Scholastic Book Fair

9:50am QSP Assembly

Area Cross-Country

3 Day 3

Area Cross-Country Rain

Date

4

5 6 Day 4

Karate Kids

7 Day 5

Photo Day

8 Day 1

Regional Cross-

Country (Rain 9th)

9 Day 2 10 Day 3 11

12 13

Thanksgiving

Day

14 Day 4 15 Day 5 16 Day 1

Milk Program to

begin

17 Day 2 18

19 20 Day 3

Karate Kids

21 Day 4 22 Day 5 23 Day 1 24 Day 2 25

26 27

P A Day - no

classes

28 Day 3 29 Day 4 30 Day 15 31 Day 1

October 2014