“Don't wait for extraordinary op-portunities; seize common occa-sions and make them great."

Orison Swett Marden

We would like to extend our most sincere wishes to all our families for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year! The staff would also like to thank all of the parents and students who sent best wishes for the holidays. We truly appreciate all the kind words, thoughtful cards and generous gifts of your precious time. We are so pleased to be able to serve such a positive, engaged, supportive community. Thank you!

We have much to look forward to in the coming days. By mid February, you will be receiving the first summative Report Card of the school year. Teachers have been working hard preparing to let you know how your child(ren) are progress-ing. On-going communication between home and school remains key to student success. We encourage you to continue to stay informed about your child’s progress through teachers’ newsletters, websites, moodles and work sent home.

We are approaching the halfway point in the 2016-2017 school year and we contin-ue to focus on student achievement and well-being. Our staff members are in-volved in a variety of on-going profession-al endeavours; from planning classroom activities, to examining student data from ongoing assessments and evaluations, to arranging exciting opportunities for our students for the remainder of the school year.

We continue to value your support and

positive feedback as we strive to meet all challenges and opportunities with energy and enthusiasm.

Kindergarten Registration

Commencing January 20, 2017

Kindergarten registration will commence on January 20, 2017 for the 2017-18 school year. Registration forms are availa-ble on YRDSB website: www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. Children who were born in 2012 (SK) and 2013 (JK) (turn four or five years old during 2017), live within the school boundary, and whose parents are public school tax supporters, will be eligible to register for kin-dergarten. A kin-dergarten infor-mation session for parents is being planned for this spring. For more infor-mation please visit the YRDSB website. A “Welcome to Kindergarten” evening will take place in mid to late May at Armitage Village P.S. More information will be shared through future newsletters.

The Armitage Village P.S. website can be found at:

http://armitagevillage.ps.yrdsb.ca/

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

125 Savage Rd., Newmarket, ON.,

(905) 853-3799 JANUARY 2017

T. MCELREA , PRINCIPAL

K. TAYLOR REED, V ICE PRINCIPAL

M. ROSS, F. ALLEN

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

C. LOGAN, SUPERINTENDENT

(905)895-5155

M. VAN BEEK , TRUSTEE

(905)830-6776

INSIDE THIS ISSUE :

SCHOOL COUNCIL 2

OUR TRUSTEE , FAMILIES

HELPING FAMILIES

3

FOREST OF READING 4-5

OUR CARETAKERS 5

HOLIDAY CONCERT 6-7

JUNGLE SPORT 7

STUDENT WELL-BEING 8-9

HEART AND STROKE 10

CASHNET REVIEW 11

JANUARY CALENDAR 12

H

O

L

I

D

A

Y

S

HAPPY

PAGE 2

School Council News

January 2017

Happy New Year to all of Armitage Village's parents, guardians and caregivers!

A fresh new year is once again upon us. It’s the time to be thankful for the blessings of the past year and to take stock of all our achievements. At the same time, New Year 2017 is a brand new year to start afresh, to start strong, and yet another chance to do everything we want to do this year.

The amazing thing with chances is how we get them every year. So, set positive goals and resolutions, hang them where you can see them every hour of the new year. And be excited for what you can achieve this 2017.

In the meantime, enjoy the fireworks, the loud and boisterous family dinners, and the quiet intimate meal with your loved ones. And don’t forget to get involved in any way that you can at Armitage to help make our school the best it can be!

A special thank you to all the members on the School (Parent) Council, Principal and V.P, staff and teachers at Armitage Village for all of their support, hard work and commitment to assist our Council in whatever way!!!!!!

Let everyone know you remembered them today!

Our next School Council meeting is on Tuesday, January 24th, at 6:30 pm in the library. All parents are wel-come!

All the best,

Jody Bullen

Chair - Armitage Village P.S.

Free Workshops: Understanding Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorders

Wednesday, January 25th at CEC North – 130 Carlson Drive, Newmarket, 6:30PM – 8:30PM

Thursday, February 2nd at RL Graham P.S. – 70 Biscayne Blvd, Keswick, 6:30PM – 8:30PM

Free child minding, light refreshments, students welcome to attend with their family for more information and to pre-register con-tact:pauline.costello@yrdsb.ca or jennifer.gillespie@yrdsb.ca 905 895 5155 or LDAYR info@ldayr.org 905 884 7933 ext 24

Intermediate Boys Area Volleyball Champions

Congratulations to our Intermediate Boys Volleyball team. On November 15 the boys placed first in our Area tournament at Newmarket High School winning nine games in a row and advancing to the Regional tourna-ment. On December 1st the boys played five strong games coming in 5th overall in York Region. If you visit our gym, you will see the brand new banner hanging with pride. Thanks team, and thanks to coaches, Mrs. Craw-ford, Mrs. Clausen, and Ms. Glencross!

PAGE 3 Message From Our Trustee

As we near the end of 2016, I hope everyone has had a great school year so far and found opportunities to get involved with the life of the school.

It is wonderful to have opportunities to see not only what our students are learning, but to see how they are learning – collaborating and problem solving, using technology in exciting new ways, and engaged in hands-on activities.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated staff members, students, families and community members across our Board. Thanks to all of the great people we have in our system, we continue to advance student achievement and well-being.

Our Board continues to have a strong commitment to creating welcoming, inclusive learning environments that enable all of our students to thrive. Engaging families in your child’s education and the school community is in an important part of creating that environment.

There are resources for families available on our Board website at www.yrdsb.ca/parents, including information on Board programs and supports, and tips for parents to support your child’s learning at home and at school.

Best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy holiday season and a wonderful start to 2017. I hope you are able to enjoy time with fam-ily and friends.

Martin Van Beek

Our Community is an Extremely Generous One which Impacts Many!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful Armitage Village P.S. community for their generosity over the holiday season. We gratefully received donations of food and gift cards to our Breakfast and Snack program that boosted our stock throughout the month of De-cember. We provide healthy snacks daily to many of our students and your contributions helped us to keep our shelves stocked. We are always humbled by your generosity!

We also provided for some of our own community members through our Food and Toy Drive. Having warm clothes through the winter, healthy food to eat and toys to play with, enhance a child’s readiness to learn at school. Many of you engaged your own children in the spirit of giving which is a powerful and authentic learning experience and we appreciated your thoughtfulness.

Our Book Fair in October was also a great success. A portion of all purchases comes directly back to our school Library and supports us in providing new reading material for students to borrow and enjoy at home. You may not know that it also provides funds for other programs like; Literacy in the Library which supports our emergent readers, Red Maple and Blue Spruce reading programs and hands on early learning materials through Math, Science and Literacy Centres right here in our Library.

We wish you all the best of the holiday season!

Sincerely,

Mrs Begen, Mrs. Tenthorey, Mrs. Smalley & the Staff at AVPS

Stacking Club

This month the stacking club has a big thank you for our donation of two sets of cups, mats, gear bags and timers that were made by the School Council. This included two brand new Generation 4 timers which are new to the stacking scene and which will help us prepare for our tournament in the spring.

In January we will be running a group order for stacking gear. This is a great way to support stacking at our school and get your own stacking cups for practice at home. More details will be shared after the holidays.

PAGE 4 JAN . , 2017 Red Maple Reading Program

We have exciting news in the Library! The Ontario Library Association’s Red Maple Reading Program will be starting in January at Armitage Village Public School for our Grade 7 and 8 students. This program recognizes Canadian writing and authors, and encour-ages students to form opinions and ask questions about reading through conversations with mentor staff readers throughout the school.

Students will have many titles to choose from. All of the titles can be found in our school library. Some students prefer to begin reading ahead over the holidays using e-readers or the public library. Below is the list of books that students will have to choose from for this reading program.

Grade 7 Titles

Zomboy – R. Scrimger The Truth Commission – S. Juby

The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden - P Dowding Walking Home – E. Walters

We Are All Made of Molecules - S. Neilsen The Cat at the Wall – D. Ellis

Summer Days, Starry Nights – V. VanSickle The Rule of Three – E. Walters

The Boundless – K. Oppel Young Man with a Camera—E. Sher & D. Wyman

The Dogs – A. Stratton Fragile Bones – L.S. Nicholson

The Gospel Truth – C. Pignat Prison Boy – S.E. McKay

Grade 8 – Titles

Fiction Non-Fiction

Born with: Erika & Gianni – L.S. Nicholson Child Soldier – M Chikwanine & J.D. Humphreys

Flickers – A. Slade Shattered Glass – T. Toten

The Hill – K. Bass Hidden Gold – E. Burakowski

Lucky Jonah – R. Scrimger Urban Tribes – L Charleyboy &

Minrs – K. Sylvester M.B. Leatherdale

Sea Change – F. Viva Vanished – E. MacLeod

Shooter – C. Pignant Trouble is a Friend of Mine – S. Tromley

The Uniquiet Past – K. Armstrong

When students have completed reading a book, they will take their passport to the staff member who has volunteered to read the book as well. Together they have a ‘book talk’, answer some questions about what they’ve read and fill in the corresponding infor-mation in their passport. Our students and staff are excited to begin the Red Maple Reading Program in January!

Notice to Parents from York Region Public Health Regarding Immunization Records

If parents/guardians or students receive a letter from York Region Public Health requesting immunization information, here’s what to do:

Update York Region Public Health on your child’s immunization status in one of the following ways:

Online at https://eimmunization.york.ca

Fax documents to 905-895-6066 or 1-866-258-2026

Mail immunization information to Immunization Services, Box 147, Newmarket, ON L3Y 6Z1

Call York Region Public Health at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73456

Our caretakers

are an essential

part of the AVPS

Team!

PAGE 5 JAN . , 2017

Blue Spruce

Our Kindergarten to Grade 3 students have been participating in The Blue Spruce Reading Program. This is a provincial primary reading program developed by the Ontario Library Association. Students read 10 nominated Canadian picture books with their teacher and discuss the author’s message and illustrator’s techniques used to tell the story. Students vote for their favourite book throughout January. We excitedly await the Library assembly on January 23rd to reveal our voting results and uncover our favour-ite Blue Spruce book.

The Blue Spruce titles this year are:

The Artist & Me – S. Peacock The Good Little Book – K. MacLear

Harry & Walter – K. Stinson If I Had a Gryphon – V. Vansickle

InvisiBill – M. Fergus The Night Gardener – The Fan Brothers

SNAP! – H. Hutchins Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox – D. Daniel

Stanley at School – L. Bailey The Wolf-Birds – W. Dawson

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Smalley, Teacher-Librarian

Mr. Andrew Long Mr. Rob Yolkowski (& Fred) Ms. Courtney Morehouse

PAGE 6 JAN . , 2017

On Wednesday, December 14th, Armitage Village families were impressed by the musical tal-ents of our students in Kindergarten to Grade 3. The children were very excited to perform for their families and show how hard they worked to learn their songs, poems and instru-ments!! The students sang songs and recited poems about winter and holidays around the world. We were lucky to have many of the classes directed by Mr. Woodger, our music teach-er.

The concert was a great success because of the efforts of all the primary teachers, support and caretaking staff. Many Intermediate students added to the night by taking on roles as Runners, Stage Crew and M.C.’s. We also had Junior and Intermediate teachers who donated their time to help supervise and keep the students organized backstage. All in all, it was a wonderful evening that demonstrated what a great school community we have here at A.V.P.S.!!!

Mrs. Begen (Reading Recovery and ESL Teacher)

PAGE 7

JAN . , 2017

PAGE 8 Student Busing Eligibility

Did you know that students’ busing eligibility changes throughout their school career? Your son/daughter’s eligibility to ride the school bus may change according to their grade and distance from home to school. Below are the provisions for eligibility identi-fied in the Board’s Transportation Policy #680:

• All YRDSB students in Grades JK-3 who live within 1.2 km of their school are not eligible for transportation

• All YRDSB students in Grades 4-8 who live within 1.6 km of their school are not eligible for transportation

• All YRDSB students in Grades 9-12 who live within a transit served area are not eligible for transportation.

To view Board Policy #680 Student Transportation, please visit www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. For more information about bus trans-portation and to determine your son/daughter’s eligibility please visit www.schoolbuscity.com.

Volunteering Can Be An Incredible Experience!

Armitage Village staff is constantly looking to have more volunteers in the classroom and around the school. Volunteering may sound overwhelming or intimidating. However, in talking to different volunteers throughout the school, they express satisfaction

and gratification for being able to be part of the community, by regularly helping out where possible. There are many things a volunteer can do, such as simply read with a student or two, or help the teacher prepare materials for an art lesson or a math activity. If you have an hour or two you can spare at the school and wish to make a contribu-tion, please communicate with Mrs. Ross and she will find suitable staff partners for you to work with at your con-venience. Thank you for taking part in our students’ lives and in our community at large.

Inclement Weather Conditions - Reminder

If the conditions of the roads necessitate the cancellation of bus service, local radio stations will be informed as early as possible and will broadcast this information. The following radio/TV stations carry bus information: AM 640, FM 104.5, City TV, and our website www.schoolbuscity.com lists weather delays as well. If you choose to drive your child to school in the event of a bus cancellation, you will be responsible for bringing your child home at the end of the school day (2:45 pm). Since no pizza, sub or Lunch Lady lunches are delivered on inclement weather days, please make sure your child has a lunch if he/she is coming to school.

Weather Watch at Armitage Village - Reminder

With the colder weather upon us, we would like to share our protocol for outdoor recess on extremely cold days. All students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 are expected to go out for recess unless the weather conditions are deemed to be severe. We always monitor the weather, and in extreme conditions (e.g., wind chill) we will keep the students inside or shorten the recess breaks.

Please make sure that your child is dressed properly for our winter days. Boots, hats, mittens/gloves, jackets, snow pants, and scarves will help make recess an enjoyable time (please be sure to label all clothing). Children who are ill should remain at home until they are completely recovered. We are unable to accommodate requests for children to stay indoors as appropriate supervi-sion is not available.

We often receive requests from parents asking us to keep their children indoors during recess times because they are not feeling

well. Unfortunately, we do not have the staff or facilities to supervise students who are sick or still recovering from an illness.

Students with heavy colds, etc., which are serious enough to prevent them from participating in physical educa-

tion, recesses or other outdoor activities, should remain at home until their condition improves. This will like-

ly benefit the students concerned and prevent the spread of their illness to others.

Exceptions are made on an individual basis for children who may need to remain indoors for an extended peri-od of time because of a physical condition or recovery from a serious illness or accident. In such cases, a letter from the doctor is required.

JAN . , 2017

Mental Health and Well-Being at Armitage: The Chill Zone By Myla, Ava, Heather and Malcolm We are going to be explaining what the Chill Zone (originally known as the Calming Room) is and why we need it. The Chill Zone is going to be a place where students can feel safe and comfortable. It will contain things that

will relax students in whatever state they are in. The students will have a certain period of time in the room at a time. The Chill Zone is not just a place for students to get out of class or to have a place to chill out, it is just for relaxation and calming purposes. The students within the Chill Zone must always be accompanied by a staff member and never to be left alone. The staff member will then decide the appropriate amount of time necessary for each student. The room is important to let students react without any harm to others or themselves. Thank you to parents who have already donated. We’re still in need a few more items to decorate the room. If you have any of the following to donate, we’d really appreciate it:

- a reading tent - CD player - interlocking rubber mats - egg timers - treasure chest - low shelving

Thanks everyone for your support with our Chill Zone. We look forward to completing it soon and having it ready for students to use. Sincerely - The Student Leadership Team

Heroes Initiative At Armitage we’ve begun acknowledging people who have done some amazing things around our school. As a result, they’ve become an extraordinary person. An extraordinary person is someone who takes a stand for something and perseveres until other people benefit from the extraordinary person’s actions. Ghandi is a perfect example of an ordinary person who became extraordinary when he took a stand for the betterment of others. Extraordinary people usually build relationships with others, make a positive impact on people, give back by contributing to and empowering others, create possibilities, keep their word, stand for being themselves and want to change the world in a positive way. If you know anyone in the school or community who fits this description of being extraordinary and you would like to nominate them as an Armitage Hero, please send a note to our school using the format below. The person’s name and their hero initiative will be shared over the morning announcements then posted in the display case near the Junior doors.

________________ (person’s name) is a (student/staff/parent) hero in our school. Over the past (____ months / ____ years), s/he has always been there to help (students/staff/parents) by ___________________________ . Thanks _______________ (person’s name) for being extraordinary and taking a stand to make our school a better place. For example: Tracy Smith

Tracy is a parent hero in our school. Over the past 12 years, she has always been there to help our school run properly. As a member of School Council, a parent lunch assistant, and a parent volunteer, Tracy ensures that all students have opportunities to be successful, feel cared for, and are safe. She supports our school-wide initiatives and even goes the extra mile to help out with and drive students to our sporting events.

Thanks Tracy for being extraordinary by taking a stand for us and making our school a better place.

Please feel free to nominate an administrator, teacher, support staff member, parent volunteer or student who is taking a stand for others and doing something extraordinary! (D. Mabee)

Information Night for arts@baythorn Program for Students Currently in Grade 4 and 5

Would you enjoy Collaboratively 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. If you are currently in grades four or five you may apply for the arts@baythorn program, where you will have the opportunity to explore the disciplines of Dance, Drama, Visual Arts, and Music in a cooperative learning environment.

To learn more about the arts@baythorn program, you and your family are invited to attend

an information evening at Baythorn Public School on: Thursday, January 19, 2017 @ 7:00 p.m.

Applications will be available at bit.ly/arts_application2017 online after the January 19th, 2017 info night. If you require further information, please call us at Baythorn Public School (905) 889-7992.

January 2017

Tip of the Month

Recipe of the Month “Speedy Flatbread Pizza”

Question of the

Month

Q: I find it hard to make myself be active. What can I do?

A: You’re more likely to keep going if you choose activities you enjoy, if you can fit them into your schedule, if you believe you’ll benefit from them, and if you feel you can do them safely and correct-ly. Making a contract with a friend or family mem-ber also may help you keep your commitment. Set-ting small, realistic goals, checking your progress, and rewarding yourself when you reach your goal also can help. If you can stick with an exercise rou-tine or physical activity for at least 6 months, it’s a

Total cook time 15 min Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 small whole wheat flour tortillas

1/4 cup (60 mL) pasta sauce

1 tsp (5 mL) Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup (175 mL) chopped fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped lean ham or roast turkey

1 cup (250 mL) shredded part skim mozzarella

2 tbsp. (25 mL) chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Place tortillas on large baking sheet in a single layer; set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together pasta sauce, herb seasoning and gar-lic. Spread evenly among tortillas.

Sprinkle each with red pepper, mushrooms and ham. Top with mozzarella.

Bake in preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for about 8 minutes or

until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley before serving, if

using.

Calories 221, Protein 14 g, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Trans Fat 0 g,

Cholesterol 25m g, Carbohydrates 21 g, Fiber 2 g, Sodium 539 mg, Potas-

sium 263 mg.

“Your body isn’t a temple; it’s a home you’ll live in forever. Take care of it.”

Colin wright

Armitage Village P.S. is accepting online payments through School Cash ONLINE!

1. School Cash Online provides the following benefits: • A convenient fee payment option that saves time • Reduces paper • No more need to send cash or cheques to school • A quick way to register. It takes less than 5 minutes to register.

2. Parents that opt to participate will receive notification via email of student fees owed (both required and optional), and can make secure online payments by credit card or Interac and receive a receipt. 3. To view a presentation about the program, go to http://www.kevsoftware.com/movies/ParentRegEnglish/.

Follow the easy steps on the next page to register and get started!

Step 1: Register

Click on the School Cash Online button on our school’s website at http://armitagevillage.ps.yrdsb.ca/ and select the “Get Start-

ed Today” button. Complete each of the three Registration Steps

*For Security Reasons your password, requires 8 characters, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter and a number.

Step 2: Confirmation Email A registration confirmation email will be automatically forwarded to you. Click on the link provided inside the email to confirm

your email and School Cash Online account. The confirmation link will open the School Cash Online site prompting you to sign into your account. Use your email address and password just created with your account.

Step 3: Find Student NOTE: A STUDENT NUMBER IS REQUIRED This step will connect your children to your account. Student numbers can be located at the top of the email communications sent from AVPS. Enter the School Board Name Enter the School Name Enter Your Child’s Student # and Last Name Select Continue On the next page confirm that you are related to the child, check in the Agree box and select Continue Your child has been added to your account

Step 4: View Items or Add Another Student If you have more children, select “Add Another Student” option and repeat the steps above. 5 children can be added to one parent account. If you do not wish to add additional children, select “View Items For Students” option. A listing of available items for purchase will be displayed.

NEED HELP? If you require assistance, select the GET HELP option in the top right hand corner of the screen or contact School Cash Online – Parent Help Desk at 1-866-961-1803 or parenthelp@schoolcashonline.com.

JANUARY 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4

Winter Holidays

5 6 7

8 9 Day 1

First day back from our holiday break!

10 Day 2

Red Maple Read-ing Program begins!

11 Day 3 12 Day 4 3:05 pm: Jr. Co-ed VBall Game @ Terry Fox

13 Day 5

14

15 16 Day 1 3:20 pm: Staff Meeting

17 Day 2 3:30 pm: Jr. Co-ed VBall Tourney @ Stonehaven

18 Day 3 Inter. Skills Cana-da Presentation

19 Day 4 Gr. 1 FI Infor-mation Session at Mazo de la Roche (6:30 pm)

20 Day 0 PA Day - No

classes for students. Staff working on Reports/Assessment Kindergarten Registration begins.

21

22 23 Day 5 Blue Spruce Sharing Assembly

24 Day 1 6:30 pm: School Council Mtg.

25 Day 2 Area Jr. Co-ed VBall Tourney

26 Day 3 27 Day 4

Pajama

Spirit

Day!

28

29 30 Day 5 31 Day 1 Whole School Sharing Assembly

1 Day 2

2 Day 3

Regional Co-ed VBall Tourney

3 Day 4

PA Day - No

classes for stu-dents. Profes-sional learning happening for staff.

4

5 6 Day 5 7 Day 1 8 Day 2 8 Day 3 9 Day 4 10

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday