125 savage rd., newmarket, on., (905) 853-3799 march … · and six eqao dates for the 2016-2017...

13
Fostering a Climate of Inclusion in our School: the Armitage Village Way We, at Armitage Village Public School, be- lieve that everyone has the right to succeed in school. And we believe that it is important for every child to have the opportunity to suc- ceed and reach his/her full potential. Inclu- sion offers that opportunity. Inclusion starts in families and is reflected in our schools and communities. I doubt there is a parent or adult among us who does not remember vividly the stab of pain, embarrassment and hu- miliation that comes from an insensitive re- mark from the mouth of someone they trust- ed. Even worse are the taunts, teasing, threats and put-downs that are unfortunately a part of growing up. We work hard at school to make sure that each child is included and val- ued for who they are. Every child is unique. His/her different strengths, abilities and diverse learning needs must be recognized as his/her foundation for learning, and his/her learning challenges must be identified, understood and accommodated. Every child, no matter his/her differences, has the right to learn with his/her peers to his/her potential and feel safe, secure and respected while doing so. Children and stu- dents of all backgrounds, including those new to Canada, First Nations, those with socio- economic challenges, struggling learners, those with behaviour issues, and those with disabilities benefit from inclusive, positive learning environments. Inclusion is based on values and beliefs that support each child while promoting social cohesion, belonging, active participation in learning, a complete school experience, and positive interactions with peers and others in the school communi- ty. Unfortunately it is a fact of life, that despite what we know, and even perhaps what we have experienced personally, children can still be insensitive and hurtful to those they perceive as “different” for whatever reason. For this reason, we are asking for your help in reinforcing the principles of inclusivity and toler- ance in all our children. Through inclusion, we are ensuring access to the experiences, the knowledge and the skills that will prepare our children for the future. Thank you for your crucial part- nership in this worthy goal! Drop Off and Pick Up at Armitage Village P.S. In order to keep our students safe, we would like to remind parents of our pro- cedure in place for drop off and pick up. In the morning there is the park parking area at the East side of the school. You may use that to drop off your child begin- ning at 8:20 a.m. Please do not enter the main parking lot/loop from 8:30 am to 8:45 am and 2:45 pm – 3:20 pm. We have 7 YRDSB buses and vans entering our bus loop and it is not safe to have cars driving through, for the loading and un- loading of students (some severely handi- capped), and for children to be walking between buses to get to their cars in the lot even with adult supervision. In the morning or afternoon you may use the parking lot by the park to park your car while you walk on the sidewalk to drop them off or pick them up. On another note, please be aware that the bus loop is a fire route and you may not at any time park your car in the loop. We are pursu- ing the placement of more visible signage and bylaw officers have been asked to pa- trol the lots and tickets can be issued. Un- fortunately, parking spaces can be very limited at Armitage Village. Your contin- ued co-operation in keeping our stu- dents, parents and staff safe is greatly appreciated. (Continued on p. 8.) F ROM THE PRINCIPAL S DESK... T. MCE LREA, P RINCIPAL K. T AYLOR REED, V ICE P RINCIPAL M. ROSS , F. ALLEN, OFFICE ADMINISTRATION S. B REDIN, S UPERINTENDENT (905) 895-5155 M. V AN B EEK, T RUSTEE I NSIDE THIS ISSUE : S CHOOL COUNCIL 2,3 B LUE S PRUCE R EADING 4 B REAKFAST C LUB & S PECIAL DAYS 5 J UNIOR F RENCH P ERFOMANCES 6 WASTE -F REE WEDNES- DAYS & THURSDAYS 7 GENERAL I NFORMATION 8, 9, 10 HEART & S TROKE 11 MARCH-A PRIL C ALENDARS 12, 13 March Break Reminder March Break: from March 11th-19th. 2017-2018 School Year Moves If you are planning a move and will not be attending AVPS next year, please let the school know ASAP. This will assist us in making accurate student enrolment projec- tions for the 2017-18 school year. EQAO Dates The following are the AVPS grade three and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi- cal appointments during that time. 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH-APRIL 2017

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Page 1: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

Fostering a Climate of Inclusion in our School: the Armitage Village Way

We, at Armitage Village Public School, be-lieve that everyone has the right to succeed in school. And we believe that it is important for every child to have the opportunity to suc-ceed and reach his/her full potential. Inclu-sion offers that opportunity. Inclusion starts in families and is reflected in our schools and communities. I doubt there is a parent or adult among us who does not remember vividly the stab of pain, embarrassment and hu-miliation that comes from an insensitive re-mark from the mouth of someone they trust-ed. Even worse are the taunts, teasing, threats and put-downs that are unfortunately a part of growing up. We work hard at school to make sure that each child is included and val-ued for who they are. Every child is unique. His/her different strengths, abilities and diverse learning needs must be recognized as his/her foundation for learning, and his/her learning challenges must be identified, understood and accommodated. Every child, no matter his/her differences, has the right to learn with his/her peers to his/her potential and feel safe, secure and respected while doing so. Children and stu-dents of all backgrounds, including those new to Canada, First Nations, those with socio-economic challenges, struggling learners, those with behaviour issues, and those with disabilities benefit from inclusive, positive learning environments. Inclusion is based on values and beliefs that support each child while promoting social cohesion, belonging, active participation in learning, a complete school experience, and positive interactions with peers and others in the school communi-ty. Unfortunately it is a fact of life, that despite what we know, and even perhaps what we

have experienced personally, children can still be insensitive and hurtful to those they perceive as “different” for whatever reason. For this reason, we are asking for your help in reinforcing the principles of inclusivity and toler-ance in all our children. Through inclusion, we are ensuring access to the experiences, the knowledge and the skills that will prepare our children for the future. Thank you for your crucial part-nership in this worthy goal!

Drop Off and Pick Up at Armitage Village P.S.

In order to keep our students safe, we would like to remind parents of our pro-cedure in place for drop off and pick up. In the morning there is the park parking area at the East side of the school. You may use that to drop off your child begin-ning at 8:20 a.m. Please do not enter the main parking lot/loop from 8:30 am to 8:45 am and 2:45 pm – 3:20 pm. We have 7 YRDSB buses and vans entering our bus loop and it is not safe to have cars driving through, for the loading and un-loading of students (some severely handi-capped), and for children to be walking between buses to get to their cars in the lot even with adult supervision. In the morning or afternoon you may use the parking lot by the park to park your car while you walk on the sidewalk to drop them off or pick them up. On another note, please be aware that the bus loop is a fire route and you may not at any time park your car in the loop. We are pursu-ing the placement of more visible signage and bylaw officers have been asked to pa-trol the lots and tickets can be issued. Un-fortunately, parking spaces can be very limited at Armitage Village. Your contin-ued co-operation in keeping our stu-dents, parents and staff safe is greatly appreciated. (Continued on p. 8.)

FROM THE PRINCIPAL ’S DESK. . .

T. MCELREA , PRINCIPAL

K. TAYLOR REED, V ICE PRINCIPAL

M. ROSS , F. ALLEN, OFFICE

ADMINISTRATION

S. BREDIN , SUPERINTENDENT (905) 895-5155

M. VAN BEEK , TRUSTEE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE :

SCHOOL COUNCIL 2,3

BLUE SPRUCE READING 4

BREAKFAST CLUB &

SPECIAL DAYS

5

JUNIOR FRENCH

PERFOMANCES

6

WASTE-FREE WEDNES-

DAYS & THURSDAYS

7

GENERAL INFORMATION 8, 9, 10

HEART & STROKE 11

MARCH-APRILCALENDARS 12, 13

March Break Reminder

March Break: from March 11th-19th.

2017-2018 School Year Moves

If you are planning a move and will not be attending AVPS next year, please let the school know ASAP. This will assist us in making accurate student enrolment projec-tions for the 2017-18 school year.

EQAO Dates

The following are the AVPS grade three and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal appointments during

that time.

125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON.,

(905) 853-3799

MARCH-APRIL 2017

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PAGE 2 March-April’s School (Parent) Council News and Updates

My oldest daughter asked me tonight why I like to be involved so much with our school, and that she wished I could be there every day so that she could see me, which of course filled my bucket and also got me thinking about my own personal reasons that I am so involved at Armitage.

I believe that good schools are even better when parents are involved and engaged. By engaging more par-ents in their children's education, their children will achieve more and we will boost confidence.

Parents play a vital role in the development and education of their children and in the success of schools. Parents are the most important influence in a child's life outside of school. Long after direct learning from parents in a child's early years gives way to formal education, par-ents continue to play a key role in student success through the attitudes they help to shape and the direct supports they provide. Research clearly indicates that good schools become better schools when there is a strong connection with parents as part of the learning community. The posi-tive results of a genuine partnership between parents and schools include improved student achievement, reduced absenteeism, better behaviour, and restored con-fidence among parents in their children's schooling. School Councils have a unique role to play in bringing parents and schools together in partnership. As parents and community members themselves, School Councils provide an important bridge between school staff, parents, Home and School Associations and other parent groups that may be active in the community. So, that about sums up why I am so involved in my daughter's school and will continue to do whatever I can to make Armitage a great and safe school!

Fundraiser For May!!!

Coming soon to Armitage will be a fun Cake Walk where students can walk around to see yummy treats and baked goods and enter into a draw to try to win their treat! Students will also be able to purchase yummy treats from our Bake Sale Table. More news included in this newsletter. We appreciate all of your support!

Jody Bullen

School Council Chair,

Armitage Village P.S.

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PAGE 3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 ARMITAGE VILLAGE P.S. CAKE WALK!

How It Works! On the day of the event, students in each class will have an op-portunity to come to walk around the special display of cakes in the school to view all of the yummy treats.

Students can buy as many tickets as they would like:

1 ticket for $2.00 3 tickets for $5.00 8 tickets for $10.00

They will write their names on their tickets and put them in the

large envelopes in front of the cake(s) they want to try to win in

the draw.

Cakes will be on display and tickets will be sold until 2:00 pm.

Volunteers will be there to help students!

Bake Sale TOO!: We will also have some yummy goodies

for students to purchase like chocolate lolly pops (In

Armitage’s School Colors), cookies and other treats for $2.00

each. The Bake Sale will take place on Wednesday May 17,

2017 (same day as the CAKE WALK) during the day in the li-

brary. Students can come and purchase a treat after they eat

their lunch during lunch recess.

For those who are not there for the draw, you will be contacted by phone to pick up your cake at the school by 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

*Please note that we cannot guarantee that our cakes, cupcakes and other goodies donated will be free of trac-es of nuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs and gluten.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR 1ST EVER

CAKE WALK AT ARMITAGE VILLAGE

P.S. ON WEDNESDAY , MAY 17,

2017!

PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY! WE

NEED FAMILIES, NOVICE AND EXPERT

BAKERS, AND LOCAL BAKERIES TO

DONATE *NUT-FREE CAKES OR CUP-

CAKES! PLEASE EMAIL JODY BULLEN AT

[email protected] IF YOU

PLAN TO DONATE.

DROP OFF YOUR CAKE/CUPCAKES IN

THE SCHOOL LIBRARY BY 9:00 AM ON

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017.

BAKERIES AND BUSINESSES ARE

WELCOME TO PROVIDE BUSINESS

CARDS WITH A DONATED CAKE.

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR

SUPPORT!

THEY DON’T NEED TO BE FANCY! WE LOVE ALL CAKES AND CUP-

CAKES!

ONE IDEA FOR JAZZING UP A CAKE:

-Buy a regular slab cake and buy small shopkins, LEGO, Barbie figurines, etc., and place on the cake for an instant “WOW” effect!

Page 4: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

PAGE 4 Our Blue Spruce Assembly - Nothing Quite Like a Good Story!

Our Kindergarten to Grade 3 students have been participating in The Blue Spruce Reading Program this winter. 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 voted for their favourite book throughout January. We excitedly revealed our voting results on January 24th at an assembly in the Library. Our favourite book was…Stanley at School by L. Bailey.

The Blue Spruce titles this year were:

The Artist & Me – S. Peacock

Harry & Walter – K. Stinson

The Good Little Book – K. MacLear

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Smalley

Teacher-Librarian

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

Page 5: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

Blast Off with Breakfast Club at Armitage Village PS

At Armitage Village Public School we like to create a welcoming environment where all

members of the school community work collaboratively to develop students who are life-

long learners with positive character, and who make healthy life choices. A healthier life

choice begins with improving the nutritional knowledge of our students and teaching

them the importance of eating breakfast to support their success at school.

HEALTHY BREAKFAST & SNACK PROGRAM OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS

Program Schedule: Monday, Wednesday & Friday each week

Time: 8:15 - 8:40 am

Location: Room 108 (enter through the front doors beside the gymnasium)

Library Snacks: Healthy snacks are also located in the Library daily during morning recesses

Everyone is welcome!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017, is

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD). On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 Armitage Village P.S will be recognizing this im-portant day by wearing YELLOW - the official colour for World Down Syndrome Day, and by wearing our “Odd Socks.” Hopefully wearing two very different socks . . . and reveling in the fact that they and we, are all kind of the same, but also differ-ent . . . and this is a really good thing! We will be wearing our “odd socks” and dis-playing them as a symbol of acceptance and understanding of not only the differences of those with Down Syndrome, but in celebrating everyone’s differences!

World Autism Awareness Day (Sunday, April 2, 2017)

On Monday, April 3rd, 2017, our school will be recognizing “Light it up Blue for Autism”. Every year, organizations across Canada promote awareness about Autism hosting various celebrations. To recognize this special day, each class at Armitage will create a blue heart made out of puzzle pieces.

The pieces represent:

· how each person is unique in their own way

· how all people “fit” together

The blue heart represents:

· How we are all the same on the inside

Make sure you visit the display case featuring the beautiful blue hearts made by our stu-dents. We are also asking that students wear BLUE on April 3rd to show their support.

L. Kyriakou, C. Glencross, S. James, W. Morgan, A. Hamilton, J. DePaulsen, D. Gibson, A. Myers, M. Schneider, J. Nancekievill, P. Fleary and our AVPS Staff.

Page 6: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

Shining Junior

French

Performances The Grade 5/6 students in

Ms. Mabee's and Mr. Clem-

ents' classes enthusiastically

presented their French play

"Comment y aller" (How to get

there) to an audience of their

peers and parents on Wednes-

day, February 8th.

Some of the student feedback

included:

I liked using props, having the

role that I wanted and partici-

pating in the play!

I liked watching the play and

doing my part!

I loved the play. It was very in-

teresting. Aryan S.

My favourite part is when Zozo

is flying and Marie is saying "Hi

alien!" Musawer M.

I liked when Marie arrived in

Paris and she knocked on

Pierre's door. Pierre's mom

answered and said that Pierre

wasn't there because he had

gone to Quebec to visit Ma-

rie. Muhanad A.

C’est

Fantastique!

By Mme Carlick

Page 7: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

“BOOMERANG” WASTE-FREE “Wednesdays and Thursdays”

are now a part of ARMITAGE VILLAGE P.S.!

Continuing throughout the month the of March, each Wednesday and Thursday, at Armitage Village we will be having a waste-free lunch. A waste-free lunch is an excellent way to reduce or divert waste. A litterless lunch contains no throwaway packaging or food leftovers. Lunches are packed in servings that will be completely eaten. To avoid any packaging, all food and drinks are packed in reusable containers with a reusable lunch bag or box. With this type of lunch, food items can be bought in larger quantities.

The packaging can be left at home for reuse or recycling. Waste-free lunches are not only a wise environmental choice; they are less expensive as well. Ideally, with a waste-free lunch, whatever comes to school for lunch and snacks and is not consumed, will go back home. Any green-bin or organic waste can be placed in the green bin at home.

The “Boomerang Lunch” is going strong at Armitage Village P.S.! Boomerang Lunch is a program where students are asked to bring all the garbage home from their lunches, including packaging and food waste. Every Wednesday in February, students have been participating in this environmental initiative with enthusiasm. With support from the Eco-Team, students have learned the importance of this program and ways to reduce unnecessary garbage and avoidable food waste. Eco-Team members have even created a reward system to provide extra incentive for classes to reduce waste. Eco-Team representatives such as Ava B., Myla S., Jayde M., Jessica D. and Nicole F. have been working hard to pro-mote our initiative and motivate our students and staff to support our Boomerang Lunch, and the reactions have been overwhelmingly positive! It is clear that students and staff feel proud to be doing their part to help the environ-ment.

Please stay tuned for additional information about Boomerang Lunch, as we intend to implement on Wednesdays

and Thursdays beginning in March! Well done, Armitage students! The Earth thanks you.

Mrs. J. Vandenbrink, Mrs. A. Copsey, Mrs. Kyriakou & your “awesome” Eco-Team!

Reach for the Top Update

The grade 6-8 Reach for the Top team continues to practise as they get ready for us to host the regional tournament on Wednesday, April 26th. We will be hosting at least eight schools so we are preparing feverishly!

In late March, we will be running a fundraiser for the senior grades to offset our costs for having this program at AVPS. Stay tuned for more details!

Finally, on Tuesday February 21st all members of the AVPS Reach for the Top team travelled to the north end of New-market to take part in a puzzle solving challenge at Crypto Escape Rooms. Students were either with Mr. V in “The Cursed Temple” or conducting “The Experiment” with Mrs. Nancekievill. A great time was had by all!

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Continued from the Principal’s Desk . . . . “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” Diane Ackerman

March is upon us! Life at Armitage Village continues to be busy and productive. The month of February brought much learning and celebration! Our highly successful Book Brigade, and of course, our Valentine’s Day activities included class-room festivities, visits, decorations and a dance for our Intermediate students. We celebrated inclusivity with our YRDSB Day of Pink and Twin Day, both reflecting great student and staff participation. Term I report cards went home, and students and staff have been busy with exciting learning opportunities such as school Sharing Assemblies with presentations from students and staff, our Junior Winter Fun Day, our Junior/Intermediate B-Boyism French presentation, and Primary/Junior/Intermediate Hydro Safety presentations, all of whom informed and engaged their audiences and participants! Our co-ed volleyball and basketball teams were busy practicing, playing and doing us proud, while we set our sights on warmer weather and Track and Field. Students are preparing for upcoming academic events such as EQAO, the Engineers Annual Design Challenge, Reach for the Top, our J/I Spring Arts Concert, and the Intermediate Gauss Mathematics Contest. As always, we appreciate the work that our staff are doing to support these important events at Armitage Village.

February, March and April will have been marked with continued professional learning for our staff. With a focus on Inquiry through math, mod-ern learning, science, literacy and the arts, resource sharing, EQAO preparations, differentiated instruction, mental health and student support, staff will have participated in collaborative learning which was designed to support classroom practice and benefit student achievement. These are very exciting days with a plethora of new learning for us all!

We’d also like to draw your attention to and ask for your support in regards to the morning arrival. At Armitage Village P.S. we value punc-tuality as one of very important life-skills that our students need to develop. Students are expected to attend school on a reg-ular basis and arrive on time. We understand that some late arrivals are unavoidable due to emergencies and special appointments. The ma-jority of late days, however, can be prevented by following established morning routines. When students arrive late for school, not only have they missed an important part of their program, their arrival also causes disruption to the other students in their class.

We greatly appreciate your support and understanding as we work together to ensure the development of responsible AVPS citizens.

As we move into the spring months, we continue to have much to look forward to and celebrate. March Break is also a welcome time of renewal and refreshment as families take the time to enjoy a week of fun and relaxation together. Wishing everyone a wonderful time and safe travels!

The Safe Welcome Policy The Safe Welcome Policy came into effect on February 3, 2014. Our schools continue to be safe envi-ronments for all our stakeholders and this is just one more way to enhance safety for your children and the community at school.

Kindergarten Registration

We are still accepting Kindergarten registrations. Please help us by passing this information on to neighbours. The sooner we know of stu-dent registrations the better for us to plan for next year.

The Lost-But-Never-Found Items

We know these items belong to someone in the building, so we are hesi-tating to give them away. The lost and found table is covered in clothing once again. Please ask your children to look one more time!

Receiving our Newsletter

If you, or a family you know is not currently receiving our newsletter via email and would like to, please send your email address to [email protected], and we will include you in future newsletter send-outs. Our Armitage Village website is useful and accessible. Please visit us at … http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/armitagevillage.ps.

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Page 10: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

PAGE 10

Planning Ahead

We are now in the early stages of planning for next year. If you are moving or plan to be mov-ing over the coming months, please be sure to let the office know as we are already plan-ning for our students and staff.

Emergency Information

If you have a change in home phone number, work numbers or emergency contact infor-mation, please be sure to let Mrs. Ross or Mrs. Allen know so that we can update our records accordingly.

Have to pack a lunch again?!

We ask that all children bring a healthy lunch each day. For your reference, you may wish to access Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating .

Enjoy eating well, being active and feel-ing good about yourself.

Sending Snacks for a Whole Group

When sending food to school for children other than your own (i.e., birthday snacks), please discuss with the teacher first and plan with student nutritional needs and allergies in mind.

Thank You From the Office

Thank you to all those who continue to phone the school when your child is ill or will be late. This allows us to concentrate on those students who are absent without notification. As we know you will agree, every second counts when a child is missing!

Lunch Time Expectations

Parents, we ask that you please review with your child(ren) the expectations for student behaviour during lunch time here at Armitage Village P.S. While the majority of our students are be-having in a respectful and responsible man-ner, there are a few students who are not following the rules and routines that are established.

Indoor Shoes

Children are required to have a pair of indoor shoes. Many chil-dren have been in their stocking feet the past few weeks. Not only is this a safety issue, but it is a health issue also.

An inexpensive pair of shoes or slippers with non marking soles are fine. Please be sure to have your child’s name labeled inside her/his shoes.

Cold Weather Recesses and Excursions

The York Region District School Board is very concerned about the health and well being of all its students.

One of the components of a healthy school culture includes ensur-ing that all students have opportunities for fresh air and exercise during the school day.

As with any extreme exceptional conditions at school, principals have discretion to implement indoor recess breaks in cases of vio-lently extreme weather conditions such as driving rain, ice pellets or extraordinarily high wind chill factors.

There is no Board-wide temperature threshold for the automatic suspension of outdoor activity. Outdoor temperatures and shelter conditions vary substantially from school to school.

Winter temperatures in the minus teens and even minus twenties are not uncommon for many Ontario stu-dents to face en route to and from school. We do not agree that such temperatures are inherently dangerous. In fact, they are quite normal for Northern Ontario students.

Health authorities (York Region Public Health) advise that risks arising from cold weather come from prolonged exposure of unprotected skin. That is why we insist that all students come to school appropriately dressed for outdoor activity. In the winter that means warm coats, mittens, hats and scarves. For greater comfort many younger children wear snow pants, snow suits or leggings.

Despite the many, very cold school days we have experienced during recent winters, among our 115,000 students we have not received a single report of a child suffering ill health effects from outdoor recess.

Some parents of students recovering from minor illnesses like colds and flu have asked to have their children remain indoors. To prevent the spread of illness to others in the school, we ask instead that children remain at home until they are fully recov-ered.

For your further information, please go to York Region's website, which details ideas for staying warm outside.

Page 11: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

March 2017

Tip of the Month

Question of the Month Question: I find it hard to make myself be active. What can I do?

Answer:

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 correctly. Making a contract with a friend

or family member also may help you keep your commit-

ment. Setting small, realistic goals, checking your progress,

and rewarding yourself when you reach your goal also can

help. If you can stick with an exercise routine or physical

activity for at least 6 months, it’s a good sign that you’re

on your way to making physical activity a regular habit.

Recipe of the Month

Traditional hummus recipe This Middle Eastern dip is traditionally made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil; it lends itself to several variations.

Ingredients

2 (15.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Place beans and garlic in a food processor Pulse 5 times or until chopped. Add 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients; pulse until smooth, scraping down sides as

needed. Prepare and refrigerate it a day ahead; let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before

serving Garnish with a lemon wedge and fresh parsley sprig, and serve with Spicy Baked Pita Chips

Nutritional information per serving

CALORIES 44 (51% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 0.6g, mono 1g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 2g; CARB 3.8g; FIBER 0.8g; CHOL 1mg; IRON 0.3mg; SODIUM 109mg; CALC 21mg

“One should eat to live, not live to eat”

Benjamin Franklin

Page 12: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

PAGE 12 MARCH-APRIL , 2017

MARCH 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

26 27 Day 3

Helping Others Junior Presentation

28 Day 4 SK Photos French Performance

1 Day 5 Boomerang Lunch

2 Day 1

Gym Safety Inspection Boomerang Lunch Earth Rangers (Primary/Junior)

3 Day 2 4

5 6 Day 3 3:20 pm:

Staff Mtg.

7 Day 4

Annual Health and Safety Visit

8 Day 5 Kindergarten Reading Visits Jack Grunsky Trip (Gr. 1-3) Int’l Women’s Day

9 Day 1

Boomerang Lunch Dairy Educator Presentation

10 Day 2

Emoji Spirit Day

Last day of classes

for students

before March Break!

11

12 13

14

March

15

Break

16

17 18

19 20 Day 3 Welcome back!

21 Day 4

AVPS Down

Syndrome Aware-

ness Day

“WearYellow &

Odd Socks Day”

22 Day 5

Student Climate Survey Participation. Boomerang Lunch

23 Day 1 Boomerang Lunch

24 Day 2 AVPS Earth

Hour (11:05

am- 12:05 pm)

25 Earth Hour

8:30-9:30 pm

26 27 Day 3

28 Day 4 Wear Purple Day

for Epilepsy

29 Day 5

Boomerang Lunch School Council Forum (5:00 pm @ Sheraton Park-way)

30 Day 1 11:00 am:

Jr./Int. Sharing

Assembly Boomerang Lunch 2:15 pm:: Primary

Sharing Assembly

31 Day 2 1:30 pm: Jump Rope Kick-Off

1

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Page 13: 125 SAVAGE RD., NEWMARKET, ON., (905) 853-3799 MARCH … · and six EQAO dates for the 2016-2017 school year: May 23rd - June 2nd. Please refrain from booking any students’ medi-cal

APRIL 2017 MARCH-APRIL , 2017 PAGE 13

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

26 27 Day 3

28 Day 4

29 Day 5

Boomerang Lunch

30 Day 1 Boomerang Lunch

31 Day 2

1

2 World Autism

Awareness Day

3 Day 3

Wear Blue for

Autism Awareness

Day @ AVPS 3:00 pm: Staff Mtg.

4 Day 4

6:30 pm:

School

Council Mtg.

5 Day 5 Boomerang Lunch

6 Day 1

Boomerang Lunch

7 Day 2

International Day of Pink

8

9 10 Day 3

11 Day 4 12 Day 5

Boomerang Lunch

13 Day 1

Boomerang Lunch

14 Day 2

Good

Friday (no classes for

students or

staff)

15

16 17 Day 3 Easter

Monday (no classes for

students or

staff)

18 Day 4

19 Day 5

YRDSB Equity Symposium Gr. 7 Hep B Gr. 8 HPV Boomerang Lunch

Drop Zone

20 Day 1

Boomerang Lunch

21 Day 2

Earth

Day @

AVPS Backwards Spirit Day

22 Int’l

Earth

Day

23 24 Day 3

Pitch-In

Week 3:15 pm: Staff Leadership Team

25 Day 4

26 Day 5

Boomerang Lunch

Reach for the Top Tournament

27 Day 1 Boomerang Lunch

Junior/Intermediate Spring Arts Concert

28 Day 2

Jump Rope for Heart Event

Newsletter

emailed home.

29

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday