Glad Park P.S. - What a Great School!

We hope that everyone has had an enjoyable and rejuvenating holiday, and that you are looking forward to what should prove to be a super year.

We’re very pleased that a number of projects were completed over the summer such as the re-flooring of our library and part of the Portapak, the repaving of a portion of parking lot, and of course the superb cleaning, waxing and polishing completed by our caretaking staff. Mrs. P. Kett, Mr. B. Grove, Mr. M. Leney, Mr. J. Cooper and Mr. A. Nesbitt have done a fabulous job in preparing the school for the return of our stu-dents, staff and parent community. Also of note has been the work done by our office administra-tors, Mrs. E. Raymond, Mrs. J. Rose and Mrs. N. George in assisting us with the very involved task of our September start up.

Our teachers, E.A.’s, D.E.C.E’s and volunteers have been working diligently with their planning, the preparing of curriculum materials, and the decorating of their classrooms in anticipation of the return of our students.

We plan to continue with the strong tradition at Glad Park P.S. of provid-ing excellent program-ming and experiences.

All our staff will be working together with regards to planning, assessment and evaluation, and instruction, as part of our involvement with the YRDSB’s continued Literacy Initiative. As part of their teaching assignments, Mrs. McGrath and Mme Thurgood are our Literacy teachers, re-sponsible in consultation with the Principal and Vice Principal, for overseeing the continued work with teachers, students and parents through an inquiry-based, integrated approach to literacy, mathematics, social studies, science, P.E./H.E and the Arts.

We are excited about our ongoing initiatives such as, Student Reading and Writing, a Respectful School, and School-Home Communication. They

will continue to guide us this year as we focus on improving the achievement of all students. As always, we are here to help and support you. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us.

We are looking forward to another excellent year here at Glad Park P.S. We want to espe-cially welcome new families to our school com-munity. We have a number of students coming to Glad Park P.S. from other schools, boards, provinces and countries, and many Kindergarten students who are just beginning their formal school experience.

Parents often ask us what they can do to help their children develop a love of learning and really enjoy their school experience? Parents can do a lot to help their children feel good about school and about themselves. Here are some helpful suggestions:

Avoid being a source of pres-sure. Share how proud you are on a regular basis. Keep the lines of communication open. Work with them to find solutions to their difficulties. Keep the lines of communication with the teacher open. Encourage their independence. Show your enthusiasm in what they are learning.

(Borrowed in part from the “The Month Ahead.”)

We would also like to welcome the following new staff members to GPPS: Ms N. D’Amico, Ms M. Gallo, Ms L. Hill, Mrs. S. Makkinga, Ms L. Manahan, Ms S. McCarty, Mrs. K. McDow-ell, Mrs. E. Raymond, Ms D. Risko, Mme A. Smerek, Mr. E. Sum, and of course, our new Vice Principal, Mme B. Weafer.

We look forward to seeing everyone at our Meet the Teacher/Curriculum Evening on Tuesday, September 30, 2014.

Mr. T. McElrea,

Principal

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK . .

GLAD NEWS GLAD PARK PUBLIC SCHOOL

300 GLAD PARK AVE . , STOUFFVILLE , ON.,

(905) 642-0224

SEPTEMBER 2014

T. McElrea, Principal

B. Weafer, Vice-Principal

E. Raymond, J. Rose, N. George

Office Administration

P. Carew, Superintendent

(905)895-5155

L. Carruthers, Trustee (905)953-0562

INSIDE THIS ISSUE :

School Council 2-5

Principal’s Desk and SIP 6-7

Miscellaneous Information 8-11

Meet the Teacher Evening 12

Peanut/Nut Safe Environ-ments

13-14

Student Safety 15-16

September Calendar 17

Just a reminder that once again, in an effort to reduce our paper use, access to our monthly newsletters will be either online at http://www.gladpark.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/ or via email. Please

feel free to share this information with other Glad Park parents and community members.

“Inspiration usually comes

during work, rather than

before it."

Madeleine L'Engle

2014-15 GLAD PARK SCHOOL COUNCIL APPLICATION FORM

Name _________________________________________ Address _________________________________________

Phone Number ______________________________ Email _______________________________________________

I want to serve on School Council because:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

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I have the following interests and experience which I think would be of benefit to the School Council:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

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I have a child(ren) at Glad Park in the following grade(s): _____________________________________________________

I am an employee of the York Region District School Board: □ Yes □ No

I have read the Glad Park Constitution: □ Yes □ No

Signature ____________________________________

Please submit to the office by Wednesday, September10th,

School Council Elections: Monday, September 15, 2014 @ 7:00 p.m. in the GPPS Library.

What does being a part of The School Council involve?

“What does the School Council do?”

Part of the School Council mission is that we believe that academic excellence is of primary importance, in an environment that encourages holistic student development and will strive to support the administration, teachers and other staff in achieving this through assistance in many areas including funding of programs and organization of volunteers and committees.

Meetings usually occur the first Monday of the month, not every month, but most, and they take place in the Glad Park Public School Library at 7pm, and last about 1-1.5 hours

Basic Information:

To be a voting member of Council, look out for the nomination form in the GPPS Newsletter that comes out at the begin-ning 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.

However, you 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.

Council involves keeping in touch with what is going on at the school, and with general information about the school. If there are any concerns or ideas you would like to discuss about the school as a whole, these items can be scheduled at council meetings, the Council is not, however, a personal platform for child specific items, issues or concerns. It is a team of vol-unteer parents who want to make a difference at the school, working alongside GPPS School administration to get things done, and positively impact our children’s school experience.

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 (alternating)

Treasurer - keeps track of expenses and income of council

Community Rep - a non GPPS parent, one who represents the community

All positions will be voted on at the October 6th meeting, which will take place in the GPPS School Library at 7pm.

Hope to see you there!

General Schedule for Meeting Dates

October Regular Meeting

November Regular Meeting

December Regular Meeting

January No meeting

February Regular Meeting

March No meeting

April Regular Meeting

May Regular Meeting

June AGM for school year

GLAD PARK P.S. SCHOOL COUNCIL: REQUEST FOR FUNDING

The Glad Park School Council is committed to meeting the needs of the staff, students and families of Glad Park. The School Council

is now accepting proposals for funding special programs and items needed to help enhance the school-learning environment. All staff

and parents are encouraged to submit a funding proposal to Administration by Friday, September 19, 2014.

Proposals will be reviewed by Administration and forwarded to Council for final review and approval. The funding review process

will be as follows:

- Administration will review the submitted proposals to determine which items requested for funding can be attained with school funds.

- Funding Proposal Committee on Council will review and approve the vetted proposals and a report of purchases made will be provided via the

monthly newsletter to Glad Park parents and staff members.

Proposals will be accepted based upon successful fundraising efforts within the school, the number of applications received and as to

how the proposal fits within the school plan for continuous improvement (found on page 3). Applicants must comprehend that

submitting a proposal does not guarantee that the request will be funded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REQUEST FOR FUNDING

Applicant: ________________________________________ Contact Information: _______________________________

Proposal: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Description of proposal (attach supporting documentation and explain how it aligns with GPPS School Goals).

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Detailed outline of total cost including all taxes, shipping and/or other costs.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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This proposal benefits: □ Primary □ Junior □ Intermediate □ Specific Grade: ______ □ Entire School

Arts Performances (2014-2015)

Thanks to the financial support from our School Council through fundraising, here is a list of the Arts Performances that are booked for the next school year 2014-2015. Thanks again for your support!

K-2

Math Jam: Math Rules, Thursday, Nov. 13, 1:20 pm ($770.38)

Jiggi Jump Rock, Friday, Jan. 23 at 1:20 pm ($770.38)

Grades 3-5

Canadian Opera Company - The Bremen Town Musicians,

Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 1:30 pm ($925 + HST )

Dufflebag Theatre - Rumpelstiltskin, Friday, April 10 at 1:30 pm ($720 + HST)

Grades 6-8

Alain Shain - First day in the Schoolyard, Friday, Oct. 24 at 1:30 pm, ($660.70)

Firebrand Theatre– Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story, Friday, Feb. 27 at 1:30 pm, ($780 + HST)

Enriching our students,

Judy Driedger

(Thank you to Mrs. Driedger for organizing this worthwhile venture.)

Pizza Lunches - An Important Fundraiser

Our most successful fundraiser needs your help! We raise approximately $10000 with this fundraiser that goes directly back into funding key elements of our students extra curricular activities, technology and arts packages. The School (Parent) Council has two coordinators that help out every other Wednesday in organizing, ordering and delivering the pizza to the students with the help of student vol-unteers. We do however, require an additional person to fill in when our pizza coordina-tors are busy with their day time job and are unavailable to be here. If you feel you can spare some time during the odd lunch hour, please get in touch with the Council.

From the Principal’s Desk - continued . . .

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. A lockdown drill will be run at Glad Park on October 2nd at 11:00 a.m. In advance of the drill, we will review pro-tocols and expectations during an emergency with all staff, students, and affected partners. Please avoid calling the school at this time and be aware that the school doors will be locked during this drill.

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.

Glad Park P.S. Dress Code

“Appropriate Dress defines a standard of dress that meets the school community’s expectations of modesty and decency and promotes a safe and respectful learning environment. Compliance to the Appropriate Dress Policy is of a mandatory nature (Extract from Procedure P635.0)”

A reasonable standard of dress and language which identifies school as a place of dignity and learning is required at all times. Wearing of clothes which contain “put downs”, offensive symbols and inappropriate messages displayed or implied are deemed unacceptable for a school setting. The manner of dress and language should be appropriate for a formal school setting.

If a student’s clothing is deemed inappropriate, he/she will be asked to change. Bare midriff, tank tops or tops with thin bra-like straps (underwear must be covered) are not permitted in Grades 1-8. Parents/Guardians may be notified to either pick up their child or bring in a change of clothing.

As a sign of respect, please be advised that all head gear (except for reli-gious purposes) is to be removed before entering the school building.

A Safe and Supportive School

YRDSB’s goal is to create safe and supportive learning environ-ments that maximize the chances for student achievement and the development of literacy skills and that minimize time lost from learning and teaching. We support social skill development, inter-vention with students who are at risk, and follow up with students after consequences are issued. We are also committed to a clearly understood definition of zero tolerance: “A demonstrated conse-quence to behaviour that has been deemed inappropriate.” Zero tolerance in YRDSB schools will involve a continuum of responses that are appropriate and sequential. The consequences may range from counseling to suspension or expulsion (Bill 212; Ministry of Education). Stay tuned next month for more information on Restorative Approaches in York Region Schools (RAYS).

“Character education involves the preparation of learners to be responsible, caring and contributing citizens. Good charac-ter is a cornerstone of a civil, just and democratic society; it can be both taught and learned. It contributes to the development of safe, supportive schools, develops the emotional and social learning and enhances academic achievement. It contributes to the individual’s personal well being.”

Remember . . . Character does Matter!

Attribute Month Celebrated

Respect September

Responsibility October

Honesty November

Integrity December

Compassion/Empathy January

Courage February

Inclusivity March

Fairness April

Optimism May

Perseverance June

Initiative July-August

Electronic Devices - An Important Rule

Unless specifically related to an educational activitiy, requested and supervised by a staff member, all electronic devices need to be

turned off and kept out of sight during the instructional day, 8:15-2:45; including morning recess and lunch. Please see the student agenda for more information.

HELP - Kiss & Ride and School-Lunch Assistants Needed

We have a few openings for School-Lunch Assistant positions at Glad Park P.S. The hours are 12:05 p.m. - 1:05 p.m. and the rate of pay is $11.00 per hour. If you can spare a couple of days per week, please contact the school office at (905) 642-0224 for further details.

We are also looking for a few parent volunteers to help us with our Kiss & Ride. The hours for our Kiss & Ride are 8:00-8:15 each morning.

PAGE 7 GLAD NEWS

Targeted interventions involving our staff, School Council, parent and student partnership to improve student achievement.

School Volunteers Needed

If you are interested in volunteering your time to support our school, please call your child's homeroom teacher or Mme Weafer at (905) 642-0224.

FRIDAY FOLDERS

The Friday Folder is a tool that will enhance school-home communication. Whenever possible, all notices (e.g., news-letters, assignments, etc.) from the school will be sent home in a folder called the Friday Folder. After reviewing the contents with your child, the empty folder will need to be returned to the school the following Monday.

The goal of the Friday Folder is to consolidate information from the school into one weekly package, giving you the weekend to review the contents. The Friday Folder will be used in addition to the daily agenda, where homework and urgent notes from your child’s teacher(s) will still be recorded.

For this program to be a success, we ask that you be diligent about checking the file and returning it with your child on Mondays. Have a look for the green Friday Folder this weekend!

GPPS Terry Fox Run

The GPPS Terry Fox Run will take place on Friday, September 26th from 1:20 to 2:20. Please support this worthy cause and bring in your toonies.

DANGER! - DELIVERY AREA

Please help keep our students and community safe. The load-ing area near the caretakers door at the back of the school is not a walk way and should not be used as a pathway to our school yard. All pedestrians are asked to walk around and enter our school yard from the south side of our school.

PHYSICAL CONDUCT

In order to prevent physical injury and because of our con-cern for student safety, students at Glad Park 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, hall-ways 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” program at GPPS.

Professional Activity Days

Staff Meetings

Gradual Release of responsibility

Job Embedded Collaborative Learning

Improving Student achievement

Changing Classroom Practice

H.O.TLearning goal and success criteria

Descriptive feedback

conferencing

Challenge of Practice: Our students are creative, enthusiastic learners, and

are good at surface level connections. Our students struggle with demon-

strating critical thinking skills and synthesizing knowledge orally and in

writing. Our staff needs to have a better understanding of what critical

thinking skills are and how to teach them across the content areas. In

order to be critical thinkers, we need to teach students to be independ-

ent, self-regulated learners through inquiry-based learning.

PAGE 8 SEPTEMBER, 2013

CREATING SAFE AND HEALTHY SCHOOLS: FOR CHILDREN WITH ALLERGIES

Staff and parents are responsible for creating safe and healthy environments for students. This is an additional challenge for schools attended by children with allergies, especially life-threatening allergies. While we take every step to create a risk-free environment, school staff and parents can take important steps to minimize potentially fatal allergic reactions as there are implications for the whole school, not just indi-vidual classrooms. It is especially important that parents communicate a life-threatening allergy or medical condition to the school as soon as they are aware of it. Notify the prin-cipal and your child’s teacher so that we take the steps to cre-ate accurate records and inform staff of the established proto-col. Please see pages 8-9 for more peanut/nut safe environ-ment information.

We Are A Nut Sensitive School - no peanuts or nuts

School Bus Information

Student Transportation Services

If you wish to access transportation information, please use www.schoolbuscity.com. During the first few weeks of school, please ensure students arrive at their bus stop ten minutes early. After which, it is anticipated each bus route will develop its

regular routine and service times. Student Transportation Services of York Region would like to thank you for your cooperation as we focus on providing safe, efficient transportation for students.

Student Registration (Emergency) Verification Forms

Please find a copy of your child’s Student Registration Verifi-cation Form in next week’s Friday Folder. It is imperative that we have accurate and updated information in the office in case of an emergency. Please make any necessary changes to this form and return it to the school by Thursday, Sept. 18th. Thank you for your cooperation with this important task.

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 Glad Park P.S. All doors will be locked during the day. If you are picking up your child at the end of the day, please wait in the front foyer of the school or outside, where your child will meet you. If you are visiting with the expectation of accessing the building, you are required to kindly buzz into the office, 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 en-vironment for all students at Glad Park P.S.

Electronic Posting of Digital Images and Video

Throughout the year, many of you try to capture class and school-wide events with digital cameras or video recorders. Please be aware that what you do with those images is of some concern to us at the school. It has come to light recently that video and still images of Glad Park P.S. events have been posted to the internet through social networking and video sharing websites. Rest assured that the nature of the postings will not likely cause risk for anyone; however, while these internet resources can be a wonderful way to share with fam-ily and friends who are not able to attend our many events, it also makes these images available to anyone around the world! I urge you to carefully consider what you post on-line. You should not post images of children other than your own with-out their permission. You should also avoid any mention of names (visually or verbally) and, avoid using or sharing the name of the school. Thank you for considering our request to respect the privacy and safety of all of our staff and stu-dents. Please contact the administrative team at the school if you have any questions.

Reporting Absences

When your child will be absent or late, please call the school, (905) 642-0224, Option 5. The office is open from 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and the voicemail will record your messages at anytime. Thank you for your cooperation.

Morning Announcements and National Anthem continues to be a 8:22 am

Our second bell rings at 8:15 am. This is when our students are expected to enter the building to begin their day of learning. We will continue to have our “hurry-up” music beginning at approximately 8:17 am. The Canadian National Anthem will be

played at 8:22 pm, followed by our morning announcements. Students are expected to be in class with learning materials and ready for the day’s activities by this time. We look forward to having productive begin-nings to our school day with students consis-tently arriving on time.

REMINDER: Healthy & Safe Classroom Celebrations

We will be continuing with our Health & Safety Classroom Celebration program again this year at GPPS. For those parents/guardians who wish to acknowledge their child’s birthday in the classroom by supplying

a food item, they can do so by bringing: 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) consid-erations 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 GPPS! Thank you for your cooperation with this health and safety initiative.

1.) All children being driven to school should use the Kiss & Ride loop located at

the side of the school.

2.) There are two lanes of traffic in the loop. Children cannot exit a vehicle

between the two lanes of traffic.

3.) Children should not exit their vehicle outside the Kiss & Ride drop zone (first three

car lengths).

4.) All children must cross at the crosswalk.

5.) There is no parking in the Kiss & Ride loop. If you must park, please park on Glad Park Ave. Do not use the school

parking lot.

6.) Do not use the bus loop to drop your child

off in front of the school.

7) After the first bell, buses must be given

priority to leave.

Glad Park Kiss & Ride The Kiss & Ride Pro-gram allows parents to safely drop off their children into a safe zone without having to park or cross bus lanes.

Safety of our

students is our

first priority!

If you have any questions about the Kiss and Ride Program or would like to volunteer and help keep all of our children safe, contact the school office.

Avoid the rush, do not wait until 8:10 a.m. to drop off your child. We have a staff member on duty at 8:00 a.m. to help alleviate the congestion!

If you arrive at the Kiss & Ride between 8:05-8:10 please be prepared to wait. The school entry bell is at 8:10.

Did you receive these documents this week?

Please make sure you have received (and in some cases signed and returned back to school) the following documents:

Agenda:

Glad Park P.S. - Code for Appropriate Behaviour & Intervention Strategies

Lunch Procedure

Neighbourhood Walk

GPPS Homework Policy

YRDSB Safe & Supportive Schools

Other sheets/forms:

GPPS Dismissal Form (K-3)

Office/Student Index Form

IAP Kids Plus Accident Insurance

Student Agendas (1-8)

YRDSB 2013-2014 Learning Guide

Classroom Newsletter

Milk Program

All Milk Order Forms need to be brought back to the school by Thursday, September 18th (will be sent home on Friday, September 12th). The Milk Program, will start on Monday, September 29th.

The QSP Family Reading MAGAZINE FUNDRAISER is returning in 2 weeks (Friday, September 19th)!

PLEASE WAIT TO RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS THROUGH THE SCHOOL TO

SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION!

This year our magazine fundraiser will be paper free. ALL ORDERS ARE TO BE COMPLETED ON LINE. There

will be special prizes for the classes with the most

online orders!

Student Agenda Planners

The student planners for this school year will be available for purchase by our students. This edition of the planner is colourful and fully illustrated, and chock-full of helpful information relevant to learning, time management, Board Policies and school expectations, including

our Code of Behaviour. They are an excellent tool for communication between your child and the school as well as the development of student organizational and goal setting skills. Students can record homework activities, parents and teachers can communicate and there is a pocket in front of the agenda for important notes and/or homework assignments. We highly rec-

ommend that students purchase one of these planners.

The planners are being sold for $6.00 per copy (cheques should be made payable to Glad Park P. S.) . Our expectation is that all students use an agenda as an organizer to record daily homework and manage their time and efforts.

Student Supplies

We do our best to supply our students with the necessary equipment for full participation in our school activities. Often parents wish to add to their child(ren)'s available materials by purchasing additional educa-tional tools. Here are some that have been suggested by staff:

Pencil crayons Scissors

Glue sticks Pencils

Erasers Pens (red, blue)

Pencil case 30 cm ruler

Calculator Binder and dividers

8.5 x 11 lined paper

Note: Some of these items would be optional for the Primary grades.

Student Medication

If your child requires medication in school, please send it to the office labelled with your child’s name and the correct dos-age in its original package. Medication can be admin-istered by school staff once a parent completes a Board form, “Administration of Medication”. These can be obtained through the school office.

Valuables

The school and school Board will not be held liable for theft or dam-age 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. 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 contain-ers conveniently placed both in and outside the school. We are work-ing hard to be good caretakers of this planet which we have been lucky

enough to access through our lifetimes. Remember: every little thing that we do contributes to the whole of who we are. Everywhere that you travel to should prove to be a better place because you have been there.

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 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.

Locks and Lockers

Lockers are available for Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 students in limited quantity. Locks must be purchased for $8.00 by our grades 7 and 8 students from the school. Students who purchased a Dud-ley lock in previous years can continue to use it. Lockers are to be locked at all times and no valuables should be stored in them. Lockers are to be kept free from vandalism such as writing, scratches and dents.

Students who do not use school-approved locks will be asked to remove their locks and purchase a school lock. It is our experience, that school locks with serial num-bers assists in discouraging students from switching locks, and sometimes the destruction and theft of locks. It is also easier to return a lock to its rightful owner.

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 supervising their own children who stay to play on the yard after our 2:45 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 if your child is absent from school.

* Join us at our School Council meetings. They are open to all par-ents.

time. If it is absolutely necessary, please do so at the beginning of lunch (12:05 pm).

Besides ensuring that your child eats a healthy breakfast and brings a good lunch, please encourage them to bring a nutritious snack for morning recess break. Please remember: No Nuts!

Lunch Box Tips

School lunches can be fun, nutritious and safe. Try some of these suggestions:

Add crunchy vegetables to sandwiches; warm food in a thermos; try mini pitas, tortilla wraps or bagels.

Include food from at least 3 food groups (ie., grains, fruits and vegetables, proteins such as fish, chicken).

Send favourite healthy foods.

Avoid chips, pop, or candy. If you must, send these only as an occasional treat!

Include water, milk or juice.

Involve children in the making of their own lunches.

For more information call York Region Health Services-Health Connections. 1-800-361-5653.

School Assistants at Glad Park

Just a reminder that 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, stu-dents 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).

York Region Dental Screening

Each school year dental services staff provide dental screening to children in Grades JK, SK, 2, 4, 6 and 8 and others as required. This service consists of a quick look in the mouth by a dental hygienist, using a separate, sterilized mirror for each child. If a child needs to see a dentist, parents/guardians will be notified. If your child is not in one of these grades and you would like to have him or her screened please contact Dental Services at one of the numbers listed .

If a child needs to see a dentist for treatment, does not have dental insurance and if the cost of care would be a financial hard-ship, treatment may be covered through the Children in Need of Treatment (CINOT) program.

Also, if a child is to be excluded from screening, parents/guardians are requested to notify Dental Services in writing with the child’s name, school and grade. The address is: York Region Health Ser-vices, Public Health, 22 Prospect Street, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 3S9. For more information contact Dental Services at: Tel: (905) 8995-4512 or 1-800-735-6625 or Fax (905) 895-7520.

No Changes to the Structure of Our Day

Start and end times will be the same, as will the period lengths. There will still be three 100 minute learning blocks with a 30 minute recess break between blocks 1 and 2, and a 60 minute lunch break between blocks 2 and 3. We will continue to have full, engaging days for our students so it will be imperative that students eat a good, healthy break-fast and bring a nutritious snack for morning recess to hold them through to lunch.

Daily Schedule

Entry 8:10 am

Per. 1 8:15 - 8:55

Per. 2 8:55 – 9:25

Per. 3 9:25 - 9: 55

RECESS 9:55 – 10:25

Per. 4 10:25 - 11:05

Per. 5 11:05 – 11:35

Per. 6 11:35 - 12:05

LUNCH 12:05 – 1:05

Per. 7 1:05 – 1:45

Per. 8 1:45 – 2:15

Per. 9 2:15 - 2:45

Dismissal 2:45

Bus Departure 3:00 pm

Lunch Procedures

Lunch is from 12:05-1:05 p.m. Students eat in their own classrooms from 12:05-12:25 p.m. School Assistants and teachers supervise combi-nations of classes or areas. Outdoor lunch recess is from 12:25-1:05 p.m. All students are expected to go outside unless they are involved in a special activity.

Students must behave appropriately and share the responsibility of the clean-up of their areas. Inappropriate behaviour at lunch will be responded to as per the Glad Park PS Code of Behaviour. Students are expected to:

1. Enter the room quietly and find a seat;

2. Remain seated during lunch and behave with courtesy and respect;

3. Use the washroom prior to lunch;

4. Ask permission if it is necessary to leave the room;

5. Obey the school assistant and wait until the school assistant dismisses them;

6. Remain on school property for the duration of the lunch hour.

7. Leave the classroom clean and tidy.

Students are not allowed to go to local restaurants without parent accompaniment (see 2014-2015 Lunch Arrangements permission form).

Once again, we ask that parents and caregivers refrain from dropping off lunches for students. The constant interruptions to classrooms, inform-ing students of lunch deliveries, interferes with valuable instructional

Glad Park P.S. Meet the Teacher Night: Tuesday, September 30, 2014

CLASSROOM SESSION(S)

Please join your child’s teacher(s) for a brief presentation in their classroom(s). Some of the items that will be discussed include: school-home communication, curriculum overview, homework routines, behav-ioural expectations, and literacy strategies.

GLAD PARK COMMUNITY ‘MEET & GREET’

As part of our “Meet The Teacher” Night on September 30th at GPPS, the Glad Park School Council would like to encourage you to participate in our Community Baked Goods & Healthy Snack Sale. Come out and meet other parents in the Glad Park Community while raising funds to support our school!!

We are asking parents in the community to contribute toward this event.

We need NUT FREE baked goods to be baked for September 30th (delivered to the school office by lunch recess on September 30th).

The baked goods need to be packaged in “sell-able portions” and include a label of what the items are.

As a FUN community event, it would be great to include a copy of the recipe!!

If you would like to be a part of this community event, please contact our baked goods co-ordinator Sarah Lake at sarahmslake@gmail.com.

Time Events

5:30-6:15

6:15-6:30

Meet and Greet (Gym)

Healthy Snacks and Bake Sale (Gym)

Welcome (Gym)

6:30-7:00 Classroom Session #1

(teacher mini-presentation, Q & A session)

7:00-7:30 Classroom Session #2

(teacher mini-presentation, Q & A session)

LET’S GET OUR KIDS SAFELY OFF TO SCHOOL AND BACK HOME AGAIN!

It has been a long, hot summer, but the school season is now upon us and it’s time to start thinking about school safety. The beginning of the school year is a whole new experience for some young children and for others, it’s a great time to review safety tips. Getting children to and from school safely should be a major concern to everyone in the community and here are some safety messages for all to think about:

For Children:

Look in all directions before crossing the street

Cross only at marked crosswalks, intersections, or with the assistance of a crossing guard

Wait for the walk signal if there is one

Dress to be seen and for changing weather

Walk in well-travelled areas and avoid short cuts

Try to walk with others whenever possible

Do not talk to strangers and do not accept rides from people without your parent’s permission

If you are approached by a suspicious person, tell an adult you trust immediately

Walk your bike across the street, at crosswalks, or at intersections and always wear a helmet

For Parents:

Review street-proofing tips with your children on an on-going basis

Ensure your children wear proper bike helmets if cycling to and from school

Make sure you know the route they take to and from school

Try to arrange for them to walk with a friend

Ensure your children wear reflective clothing if travelling in the dark and make sure the clothing is safe – no drawstrings or anything else that can get hooked on objects

For Drivers:

· Slow down and drive with care. Imagine a child darting in front of your car and ask yourself this: Would I be able to stop if I had to?

· Give children the right-of-way at crosswalks and intersections and obey the direction of crossing guards

· Pay attention to school bus signals and stop arms. Failing to stop for a school bus may result in a loss of six demerit points and a fine, but even worse, the injury or death of an innocent child

Residents are reminded about the Safe Streets, Nice Neighbourhoods philosophy, which encourages drivers to take matters into their own hands and drive responsibly. York Regional Police has found that 80 per cent of drivers stopped for speeding or running stop signs live within a five-kilometre ra-dius of where they were pulled over. For more information on street-proofing your children, contact the York Regional Police Community Services Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7907.

(Prepared by: Constable Kim Kirby, August 31, 2011)

Links to Literacy

It’s that time again! The Links to Literacy Reading program will once again be implemented at Glad Park Public School. Each year, our students greatly benefit from their time with our dedicated volunteers. This is a wonderful op-portunity to watch students grow and develop their literacy skills. When children are given additional opportunities to practice the reading strategies they are learning in class, it helps to foster independence and consolidate their learning.

If you are interested in reading with students from Kindergarten to grade 3, in either English or French, we need your support! We just ask for an hour of your time each week, during one or more of the following sessions:

Session 1: October to December Session 2: January to March Session 3:April to June.

For additional information, please contact Mrs. Tarrant, at extension 107.

Parking Notice

Parking In A Fire Route Is Prohibited

Designated Fire Routes located on the school properties shall be maintained so as to be immediately ready for use at all times by Fire and Emergency Vehicles and shall not be occupied by ‘parked vehicles.’

Fire Route Regulations State:

No person, shall park a vehicle in a Fire Route, which has been designated under the Town of

Whitchurch-Stouffville By-law 2008-123-FR, where parking is prohibited by an authorized sign.

The following are excluded from the above:

Fire, Police, Ambulance, Emergency Vehicles, Municipal Law Enforcement.

Note that only people who are actually engaged in loading and unloading are per-

mitted to be parked/stopped in a fire route.

This means you may only stop in a fire route, without leaving your vehicle, to allow your child to leave or to get into your vehicle.

If you have to wait for your child, we ask that you make other available parking arrangements. This may include parking on the street where parking is available.

We understand the inconvenience these changes may present, however we must comply with the Town By-laws in order to ensure the safety of the students. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping the fire routes free and clear.

Please note that By-law Enforcement Officers will ticket any vehicle parked in a designated Fire Route and /or a

prohibited parking spot.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville as follows:

By-Law Department Fire Prevention Division

905 640 1910 ext 2254 905 640 9595

PROMOTING SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS OF FIRST NATION, MÉTIS AND INUIT ANCESTRY

The York Region District School Board provides an opportunity for students with First Nation, Métis and Inuit ancestry to self-identify. The process is voluntary and the information gathered will be kept confidential.

The self-identification process is the first step in providing:

Culturally specific learning opportunities or activities;

Additional support for academic achievement and well-being, including designated support staff;

Communication between schools, First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education staff, Aboriginal students and their families;

Connections to post-secondary institutions, community groups, service providers and other partners;

More learning opportunities for all members of the school community to develop a greater understanding of Aboriginal perspectives, cultures and histories.

New students can self-identify when they register with the Board. Current students can complete an Aboriginal Self-Identification Form which can be obtained from their school.

For further information, please see the “Information for Parents and Students with First Nation, Métis and Inuit Ancestry” brochure available from the school or speak with the school principal.

SEPTEMBER 2014

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

31 1

Labour

Day

2 Day 1 First day of School! Safe School As-semblies (AM)

3 Day 2

4 Day 3 September newsletter emailed home. Fire Drill (PM)

5 Day 4 Please be sure that all school forms have been signed and returned.

6

7 8 Day 5 3:00 pm: Staff Meeting

9 Day 1 10 Day 2 11 Day 3 12 Day 4 Forms for milk program go home.

13

14 15 Day 5 7:00 pm: School Council Meeting and Elections

16 Day 1 17 Day 2

National Step-Family Day

18 Day 3 Return milk forms to home-room teachers.

19 Day 4 11:15 am: QSP Magazine Fund-raiser Kick-Off

20

21 22 Day 0

PA Day No classes for students - teachers will be participat-ing in professional learning.

23 Day 5 24 Day 1 25 Day 2

26 Day 3 Fire Drill (PM) October newsletter emailed home. Terry Fox Run

27

28 29 Day 4 YRDSB Safety Week Fall Book Fair

30 Day 5 Lockdown Drill (AM) Meet the Teacher Evening Fall Book Fair

1 Day 1 Fall Book Fair

2 Day 2 Fall Book Fair

3 Day 3 Fall Book Fair

4