BLACK RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOL March 2017

The Black River Bear

Principal: George Vellathottam Superintendent: Dianne Hawkins 905-895-5155 Vice Principal: Melissa Murray Trustee: Nancy Elgie 905-476-4184 School Office Administrative Assistants: Jackie Low and Lianne McAndrew

Follow us on Twitter! @BlackRiverPS

School Website: www.yrdsb.ca/schools/blackriver.ps

Administrator Message MARCH 2017 We hope that everyone is enjoying the very interesting weather that Mother Nature continues to provide for us! Although we’ve had a hint of spring, it is still early and we remind students to continue to come prepared for recess outside including hats, scarves, winter coats, mitts, and boots. Given the wet fields surrounding our school, students are encouraged to bring an extra pair of socks as well. Upcoming Events On March 2nd, we welcome the Ned Show to Black River. For more information, and to talk about the presentation with your child, please see the Ned Show website at http://www.thenedshow.com/ for more information. Our next School Council Meeting will be taking place Tuesday, March 7th, 2017 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. All are welcome! And finally, a reminder that school will be closed for March Break from March 13th – 17th. Classes resume on Monday, March 20th. We hope everyone has a safe and restful break! George Vellathottam Melissa Murray Principal Vice - Principal

5279 Black River Road, PO Box 1120 Sutton, Ontario L0E 1R0 Phone: (905)722-5889 Fax: (905)722-6017

ON SALE UNTIL MARCH 31ST ONLINE ONLY

Lunchbox Orders is a convenient online ordering platform featuring

local restaurants. An ordering calendar has been coordinated for our community and may be found at www.lunchboxorders.com

All orders are submitted on-line and payment is processed by Visa, MasterCard, Discover or Visa Debit. Prepaid Visa and MasterCard

payment cards are also accepted on the site. If you have any questions, please contact the Lunchbox Orders customer service team at 1-877-426-6860 or by email at info@lunchboxorders.com

Due to technical complications pictures will follow in next month’s newsletter

ATTITUDE & EFFORT AWARDS

Primary Shay J., Alexander R., Isabella L., Kaylee B., Keeva C., Scarlett B., Keirah T., Travis L., Leila J., Olivia S.

JUNIOR

Owen H., Zoe R., Noopur P., Jelynn S., Ryder B., Madelyn L., Kendra B., Kaitlyn V., Wyatt L., Emma B., James H., Jordyn S.

INTERMEDIATE

Joshua M., Savanah V., Hunter Jade N., Reese I., Kavi P., Davis C., Ava H., Shelby T., Andrew L., Madelyne L.

Junior and Intermediate Honour Roll Awards

Andrew L. Wyatt L. Ava H.

Owen H. Noopur P.

Zoe R. Kavi P.

Kaitlyn V. Jelynn S. Jordyn S. Emma B. James H.

Savanah V.

DRESS FOR THE WEATHER

Please send your child to school dressed for the weather. Also please ensure that your child has appropriate indoor footwear at school each day. This is very important, especially for safety reasons such as fire drills and gym class.

COLDS AND FLU

Please be aware we have students at Black River P.S. who have suppressed immune systems, just a reminder to not send

your child to school if they are ill. It is that time of year when many children are getting ill with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea. If your child becomes ill with these symptoms, please keep them home from school until they have recovered. While we appreciate that many parents work, we ask that you not send your child to school with a flu or cold that will only require a call home later in the day and potentially cause others to become ill. Please remember that hand washing is the single most important procedure for preventing infections.

FOOTWEAR A reminder that all students need to have a pair of comfortable indoor shoes to wear at school. Heelies (shoes with wheels on them) are not safe, and are not appropriate for school.

PARKING DAYCARE AND BUS LOOP

Parents/Guardians that drop off/pick up their child/children off at daycare in the morning and after school are the only people that should be parking in the Daycare area. Parents are asked to use the new Kiss and Ride (Daycare Parking area), follow the arrows, students will exit vehicle door that is closest to the sidewalk. Please kiss/hug in the vehicle to keep traffic flowing. Additionally for community safety reasons, parents are not to use the bus loop before or after school.

GREAT GULP WATER CHALLENGE Black River Public School is proud to be participating in the Great Gulp Water Challenge on Wednesday, March 22nd. At 2:30 pm, students all across York Region will take a drink of water to recognize the importance and benefits of drinking water. The Healthy Kids Community Challenge Georgina have provided staff and students with a reusable water bottle. Students are asked to bring their bottle to school on that day in order to participate in the challenge.

EQAO Update

Each year, students in grades 3 and 6 undergo a set of Ministry of Education assessments in reading, writing and mathematics. During the months of May and June, students in grades 3 and 6 will participate in province-wide EQAO testing. These assessments provide information for the government, teachers, students, and parents on the achievement levels of students in Ontario. They also provide valuable information for improving student learning and can enhance instructional planning. It is very important that all students in these grades are available to write the tests. This year, EQAO testing will run between May 23rd and June 5th. We ask that you do not schedule appointments for your child during this time so we can minimize disruptions and distractions as well as avoid any makeup sessions for students. Thank you in advance for your support. Additional information about the EQAO tests is available at www.eqao.com. Parents of children in Grades 3 & 6 will soon receive more information.

York Region District School Board School Climate Survey for Students

Students in Grades 5 to 12 at the York Region District School Board will be invited to participate in a survey between March 20 and April 28, 2017. The survey is voluntary, anonymous and confidential, and will take place at school. The YRDSB survey fulfills the Ontario Ministry of Education’s requirement for schools to conduct student surveys and is aligned with the YRDSB’s Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being. Survey questions will address topics related to Math, Modern Learning, Mental Health and Well-Being, Equity and School Safety. This survey provides an opportunity to hear directly from students and the results will be used to identify student needs and plan strategies to support student achievement and well-being. If you have questions, please contact the school office. If you do not wish your child(ren) to participate in the survey, please contact the school by March 10, 2017.

DANCE-A-THON

Kindergarten Registration has STARTED

Kindergarten registration has started for the 2017-18 school year. Registration forms are available on YRDSB’s website: www.yrdsb.ca. Children who 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 kindergarten. A kindergarten information session for parents is being planned for this spring. For more information please visit the YRDSB website or contact your local school.

MARCH MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

1 2 NED Presentation Diva Ball

3 Ms. Plank’s class Skating

6 7 School Council Meeting

8 9 Dance-A-Thon

10 Mr. Macleod’s class skating

13 MARCH BREAK

14 MARCH BREAK

15 MARCH BREAK

16 MARCH BREAK

17 MARCH BREAK

20

21 22 The Great Gulp Water Challenge

23 Grade 4’s to Medieval Times

24 Ms. Dunn’s & Ms. Limb’s classes skating

27 28 29 30 Celebration Assembly

31

April 14 - Good Friday

April 17 - Easter Monday

April 19 - Grade 8 Grad Photo & SK Grad Photo day

June 27 - Grade 8 Graduation

Please remember to phone the school to report that your child is going to be late or absent. Our phones are

extremely busy in the morning, so please leave a message if we don’t answer right away. When leaving a

message please state your child’s name, spell your child’s name, teacher’s name, duration of the absence

and the reason for the absence. The school office can be reached at 905-722-5889 any time day or night.

If a future absence is planned (such as an appointment, vacation or religious holiday,) please call the office

and leave a message advising us of the absence. All late students must come to the office for a late slip

before going to class.

Thank you!