The Crossroads Connectioncrossroads.dsbn.org/documents/December2013newsletter.pdfThe Crossroads...

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The Crossroads Connection School Newsletter December 2013 Crossroads Public School Troy Wallace, 1350 Niagara Stone Road Principal Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0 Steve Holowchuk, 905-468-7793 Vice-Principal crossroads.dsbn.org December Character Trait CARING Mary’s Cold Mary had a little cold, but wouldn’t stay at home, And everywhere that Mary went, the cold was sure to roam. It wandered into Mary’s eyes and filled them full of tears. It jumped from there to Bobby’s nose and thence to Jimmy’s ears. It painted Anna’s throat bright red, and swelled poor Jenny’s head. Dora had a fever, and a cough put Jack to bed. The moral of this little tale is very quickly said - Mary could have saved a lot of pain with just one day in bed! If your child will not be at school please call the school. We have a answering machine available 24/7 for your convenience. The machine is checked several times throughout the day if you need to reach the office and we do not answer immediately, we may be on the other line or away from the desk. From the Principal’s Desk: Christmas Concert We are excited to share with families that we are planning a Christmas Concert for Wednesday, December 18 th with students from JK Grade 5 and members of our Guitar Club participating in this year’s performance. This will most definitely be a highlight of our month! We are doing our best to plan ahead to ensure families have the opportunity to see your kids in action while working within the limits of our gymnasium capacity under the Fire Code. We will be offering two performances on December 18 th : Afternoon Performance 1:45 p.m. Evening Performance 6:30 p.m. For the evening performance, we will be issuing (3) three tickets per family to ensure we do not exceed the Fire Code. The evening performance tickets will be sent home the first week of December. We are asking families for your assistance, if you are unable to attend or do not need all three tickets for the evening per- formance, please return extra tickets to the Office. Families will be able to request an additional ticket for the evening performance dependent on our remaining space. We realize that certain families may have a large number of relatives wishing to attend our Christmas Concert. We recommend that these family members take advantage of our afternoon performance where tickets are not required. On behalf of the Crossroads Staff, I wish to extend our best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season. T. Wallace Principal Update on our Secretaries During the next two weeks our Office will be having a few changes. Please join us in welcoming Paula Munn back to work taking over as our full-time secretary. We wish to thank Kathryn Eden-Smith and Sharon Reeb a huge thank you for all of their efforts this fall effectively run our Office while we re-organized and dealt with several staff changes. Mrs. Eden-Smith has accepted a full-time position at School Support Services for the remainder of the year, and Mrs. Reeb will be moving to Stevensville Public School as the full-time secretary starting on Monday. During the upcoming week, we will be hiring for a half-time secretarial position. Check out the full December Newsletter online at crossroads.dsbn.org or www.facebook.com/ CrossroadsPublicSchool We’ve Gone Green!

Transcript of The Crossroads Connectioncrossroads.dsbn.org/documents/December2013newsletter.pdfThe Crossroads...

Page 1: The Crossroads Connectioncrossroads.dsbn.org/documents/December2013newsletter.pdfThe Crossroads Connection School Newsletter December 2013 Crossroads Public School Troy Wallace, 1350

The Crossroads

Connection School Newsletter

December 2013

Crossroads Public School Troy Wal lace, 1350 Niagara Stone Road Pr incipal Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0 Steve Holowchuk, 905-468-7793 Vice -Principal crossroads.dsbn.org

December Character Trait

CARING

Mary’s Cold

Mary had a little cold, but wouldn’t stay at home, And everywhere that Mary went, the cold was sure to roam. It wandered into Mary’s eyes and filled them full of tears. It jumped from there to Bobby’s nose and thence to Jimmy’s ears. It painted Anna’s throat bright red, and swelled poor Jenny’s head. Dora had a fever, and a cough put Jack to bed. The moral of this little tale is very quickly said - Mary could have saved a lot of pain with just one day in bed! If your child will not be at school please call the school. We have a answering machine available 24/7 for your convenience. The machine is checked several times throughout the day if you need to reach the office and we do not answer immediately, we may be on the other line or away from the desk.

From the Principal’s Desk:

Christmas Concert We are excited to share with families that we are planning a Christmas Concert for Wednesday, December 18th with students from JK – Grade 5 and members of our Guitar Club participating in this year’s performance. This will most definitely be a highlight of our month! We are doing our best to plan ahead to ensure families have the opportunity to see your kids in action while working within the limits of our gymnasium capacity under the Fire Code. We will be offering two performances on December 18th:

Afternoon Performance 1:45 p.m. Evening Performance 6:30 p.m.

For the evening performance, we will be issuing (3) three tickets per family to ensure we do not exceed the Fire Code. The evening performance tickets will be sent home the first week of December. We are asking families for your assistance, if you are unable to attend or do not need all three tickets for the evening per-formance, please return extra tickets to the Office. Families will be able to request an additional ticket for the evening performance dependent on our remaining space. We realize that certain families may have a large number of relatives wishing to attend our Christmas Concert. We recommend that these family members take advantage of our afternoon performance where tickets are not required. On behalf of the Crossroads Staff, I wish to extend our best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season. T. Wallace Principal Update on our Secretaries During the next two weeks our Office will be having a few changes. Please join us in welcoming Paula Munn back to work taking over as our full-time secretary. We wish to thank Kathryn Eden-Smith and Sharon Reeb a huge thank you for all of their efforts this fall effectively run our Office while we re-organized and dealt with several staff changes. Mrs. Eden-Smith has accepted a full-time position at School Support Services for the remainder of the year, and Mrs. Reeb will be moving to Stevensville Public School as the full-time secretary starting on Monday. During the upcoming week, we will be hiring for a half-time secretarial position.

Check out the full December Newsletter

online at crossroads.dsbn.org

or

www.facebook.com/

CrossroadsPublicSchool

We’ve Gone Green!

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Shining Star Students FDK1– Eliot S., Cameron T., Jessica G.

FDK2 - Jacjk R, Felix V., Ruby B.

FDK3 - Archer H., Thomas L., Brody A.

Miss. Kent - Braeden D., Mya P., Jacob W.

Ms. Fairchild - Alexis K., Liam L.

Miss. Jones - . Taylor C., Dylan P.

Ms. Komandanski -Staten E., Jeremy P.

Mrs. Tompsett - Samantha F., Sarah L.

Ms. R. Willms - Wesley N., Katherine A.,

Megan H.

Ms. Buck - Kristian K, Victor-Joshua P, Elena S

Mrs. Anderson– Olivia A., Elias D., Ava R.

Mme. Peters - Jac B., Tristan M., Excel P.

Mr. O’Connor– Ryly A., Madison D., Baley G.

Mr. Reschke - Hannah H., Abigail H., Roman M

Mr. Kenworthy - Spencer A., Julia B., Morgan C

Mr. Snider - Blossom G., Tiana H., Katharine L.

Mrs. Huntingdon - Maite P., Abe W., Jimmy B.

Mrs. McNarry - Ferney F., Colin P

Ms. Ho - Xander D., Lisa K., Lucas S.

Mrs. Krake - Troy H., Maddi R., Alexander Y.

Ms. L. Willms– Jake L, Kathleen M., Olivia K.

Mme. Zoccoli - Omar S., Carter G., Olivia B.,

Kayleigh V.

NOTL HOME SHOW Plans are well underway for the 6th annual NOTL Home Show, to be held on Sat. March 1st, 2014. Once again our platinum sponsors are Meridian Credit Union and Phil's Valu-mart. We have added two new sponsorship levels! Gold Sponsorship ($1000) entitles you to a 5x8 booth, a medium sized logo on all print media and the opportunity to put 600 flyers in the gift bags that are handed out at the door. Silver Spon-sorship ($500) entails your small logo on all print media, and 600 flyers in the gift bags. This is a great way to show your support for the home show and showcase your business at the same time! If you would like to partake of this great op-portunity please contact the school, or email [email protected] by November 30th so we can start advertising your involvement. If you, or someone you know would like to be a vendor, please email us! We would love to hear from you!

Christmas Assembly

This year, our Crossroads Public School Christmas Assembly will be held on December 18th.

There will be an 1:45 pm and 6:30 pm performance.

Please watch for more communications coming home at a later date.

Hope to see you there!

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HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES

Become the Person You Want to Be

Starting high school is a huge step in a student’s life.

While it’s definitely an exciting time, it also brings with it many questions, such as “What’s life in high school

really like? Which school is right for me? What programs and options are available to help me achieve my

goals?”

One of the best ways to answer those questions is by visiting a high school open house. There, you and your

family will have the opportunity to tour the school, meet the Principal and experience the wide range of differ-

ent programs offered.

On January 14th, 2014 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. please join us at Laura Secord Secondary School open house to

see all the programs, supports and accommodations that are in place to help you become successful in school.

Magic Show at Crossroads

On Friday, December 6th at 9:30 a.m. Crossroads will be welcoming Claude Haggerty to perform a magic illusion show . During the

30-minute show, which features illusions selected from elementary school library books, Mr. Haggerty will share his personal story

with students of how he discovered a book of magic and illusion in his school library in the 7th grade that hooked him for life.

Then on Sunday Dec 8th Claude Haggerty will perform an afternoon show at the Niagara on the Lake Community Centre to support

your Newark Neighbours Food Bank.

Outdoor Classroom Mori's is continuing to support our school as this Saturday, November 29th starting at 9:00 a.m. we begin work on our outdoor class-

room as we will be relocating some trees and planting eleven larger sugar maple trees. If you wish to help, please bring a shovel &

warm clothes. Do you see making maple syrup in our future?

Thank you Mori Gardens!!

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To confirm which French Immersion site your child would attend, please speak with your child’s principal.

Registration will begin online January 6, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. Go to www.dsbn.org/fi to register. For more information please contact: Julie Stapleton, French as a Second Language and International Languages Consultant, School Support Services – 905-227-5551 ext 52220 or [email protected] OR

Kelly McDonnell, Student Achievement Leader – French Immersion, School Support Services - (905)-227-5551

ext 52402 or [email protected]

The French Immersion program is open to all students in Senior Kindergarten and Grade 3. If you want your child to develop a high proficiency and fluency in Canada’s two official languages then French Immersion has a great deal to offer.

French Immersion Parent Information Nights

Central Public School January 22, 2014 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Dalewood Public School January 21, 2014 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Garrison Road Public School January 23, 2014 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Gordon Public School January 28, 2014 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Jeanne Sauvé Public School January 23, 2014 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. *Hosted at Sir Winston Churchill

John Marshall Public School January 23, 2014 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

McKay Public School January 22, 2014 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Prince Philip Public School January 22, 2014 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Princess Elizabeth Public School January 21, 2014 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

FRENCH IMMERSION INFORMATION

The ME2WE CLUB would like to thank everyone who participated in our recent fundraiser in

support of the RED CROSS Relief Efforts in the Philippines. The people of the Philippines were

hit hard by Typhoon Haiyan and the Red Cross is there to help and support this country.

Crossroads Public School was able to raise:

$ 753.75 !!!

The Government of Canada will match every dollar donated to the Red Cross. So, if one does the

math, we actually were able to raise:

$ 1507.50!!!

‘BRING IT IN for BURUNDI’ The ME2WE CLUB will be running another fundraiser during the second week of December (9-13)

in support of our global initiative: BURUNDI, AFRICA. Crossroads Public School will be support-

ing a Crossroads Family, the Hiebert Family, who will be spending the next 5 years working and

helping a community in Burundi. ME2WE would like to be able to help buy shoes for the students and to donate money for a ceiling

in the local school. We will be asking our students to:

* Buy a flip flop so that they can “walk in their shoes”

* Buy a friendship bracelet

* Buy popcorn

* Buy hot chocolate and cookies

An information letter will come home shortly.

Thank you in advance for your continued support of the ME2WE student initiatives.

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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause transportation can-cellations or school closures. At times when student transportation has been cancelled and schools remain open, the decision of whether or not to have children in school on that day rests with the parent or guardian. Should you decide not to send your child to school in the event that transportation is cancelled but schools re-main open, or if your child is ill or late, please ensure that you call your child’s school to inform them of your child’s absence. A key resource in any emergency is the DSBN Emergency Information form that you filled out at the beginning of the school year. Please let the school know of any changes in contact information or procedures you wish to be followed throughout the school year. For secondary schools it may become necessary to cancel late buses. Notice will be provided via school announce-ments and on the websites and subscription features by 11:30 a.m. Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will be available as soon as it is available through the following channels: Websites: www.dsbn.org www.nsts.ca Subscription Features: DSBN Facebook or Twitter NSTS Transportation Delay or Cancellation Alerts Phone: Niagara Student Transportation Services 905-346-0290 Voice Auto Attendant Radio Stations:

Television Stations:

CKTB (610 AM) St. Catharines CHRE (105.7 FM) St. Catharines

WAVE (94.7 FM) Hamilton CHTZ-FM (97.7 FM) St. Catharines

CKOC (1150 AM) Hamilton CKEY (105.1 FM) Niagara Falls/Fort Erie

CHML (900 AM) Hamilton K-LITE-FM (102.9 FM) Hamilton

CHAM (820 AM) Hamilton GIANT FM (91.7 FM) Welland

Y-108(107.9) Hamilton

CHCH – Hamilton CTV Toronto

CityTV Breakfast Television Cogeco Channel 10

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NOTL ARC UPDATE

During the month of November, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) met to continue the process involving a thorough exami-nation of both Parliament Oak and Crossroads Public Schools. At the November 13, 2013 meeting the ARC Committee’s work was to refine and narrow possible recommendations to be submitted to the board. The following ARC Options have been put forward for Public Input at our next ARC meeting on Wednesday, De-cember 4, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. here at Crossroads Public School:

Niagara on the Lake Elementary Schools Accommodation Review

ARC Option 1

PART 1 For September 2016

Renovation (e.g. lockers, learning commons, smart boards, accessible spaces and parking) plus demolition (inaccessible spaces and surplus spaces) and additions as appropriate to accommodate 250 students at Parliament Oak Public School JK to Grade 8.

Future expansion options to be factored into the plan. Increased enrolment will come from:

- Final stage of provincial rollout of Early Learning will see it introduced at Parliament Oak for fall of 2014 - French Immersion phase out at Parliament Oak may/should negate triple splits - Previously grandfathered boundary changes adhered to - Housing starts, new net jobs, infill opportunities (as supported by current increase in kindergarten numbers) PART 2 If Parliament Oak closes then:

French Immersion program stays in Niagara on the Lake until current Grade 5 graduates. Parliament Oak students redirected to St. Davids and/or Crossroads with or without grandfathering for existing students. Revisit secondary feeder options effective September 2014. Further discussion to occur surrounding boundary changes and grandfathering for current Parliament Oak students

Niagara on the Lake Elementary Schools Accommodation Review

ARC Option 2 If Parliament Oak closes then: Build an addition to Crossroads PS to be completed September 2016. The addition is to accommodate the consolidation of home boundaried Parliament Oak and Crossroads PS students.

Parliament Oak students continue at Parliament Oak until the addition is complete. Crossroads PS becomes the home boundary school for the students within the Parliament Oak boundary and they are eligible for bussing as per Board Pol-

icy. Details to consider:

Purchase more land for parking. Traffic light and crosswalk on Highway 55 at the school exit. Location and cost of addition. Additional lockers and cost Construction process e.g. traffic flow at Line 2 Impact of playground space.

Public consultation is a very important part of the accommodation review process. Please take this opportunity to explore the alternatives that have been developed and voice your thoughts for the ARC Committee to consider. The following is an outline of the remaining NOTL ARC Meetings:

All ARC meetings are open to the public, and the public will also have an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions during scheduled ‘public input’ meet-ings. Further information about the review process can be found at www.dsbn.org/arc. The ARC website is an important tool for parents and community members to become informed of this important process and follow the work of the committee. If you are unable to attend but would still like to be heard, there is a section on the ARC website where you can submit your comments or questions. If you would like to speak to Amanda Fretz, our school council representative, please email Amanda at [email protected] or contact our Principal, Mr. Wallace.

Date Time Location Meeting Type

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013 6:00 p.m. Crossroads P.S. 1350 Niagara Stone Road, Virgil

Public Input Meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014 6:00 p.m. Crossroads P.S. 1350 Niagara Stone Road, Virgil

ARC Committee Working Meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014 6:00 p.m. Crossroads P.S. 1350 Niagara Stone Road, Virgil

Public Input Meeting

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How do I want to receive my newsletter?

Family Name: _____________________________________________

Children at Crossroads: __________________________________________________________________________________

Youngest Child: ___________________________________________________________

[ ] EMAIL (our email address: ________________________________)

If you choose this approach, we won’t clutter your inbox with a huge document. Instead, we’ll send you a link directly to

our Crossroads website newsletter page so that you simply click and read.

[ ] FACEBOOK

Please visit www.facebook.com/CrossroadsPublicSchool and become a friend of our school. We post the newsletter here on

the first school day of each month.

[ ] PAPER COPY (sent home with ___________________________ name of child)

December Newsletter Draw

Ballot Print/email this ballot and send it in to the office for a chance to win a fabulous family prize. We value your input! Family Name: ____________________ Student Names: __________________ ________________________________

Comments: ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Proportional Reasoning - questions for kids/fun with numbers

Try these questions to help children get a sense of the size of the numbers. Primary/Junior

Choose two whole numbers less than 100. One should be really big and the other pretty small. Tell how many of the small numbers it would take to make the big one. How do you know?

Twice a number is really big. What do you know about the original num-ber?

Cameron has 7 coins that he says have a value of 17 cents. What could the coins be?

Junior/Intermediate

Choose two fractions less than five. One should be really big and the other pretty small. Tell how many of one fraction it takes to make the other one. How do you know?

How many 2’s are in 30? How many 3’s are in 45? How can this be? Ex-plain.

A store is having a sale. Is it more helpful for you to know that an item is $10.00 off or 10% off?

*From Math Gains: Proportional Reasoning

November Newsletter Draw Winners

Congratulations to:

Michaela and Mackenzie O

And

Wesley and Ashley N