The basketballs are bouncing, skipping ropes are in action and, even though winter may not be done with us yet, we are definitely ready for spring! Every season at Churchville brings new learning opportunities, endless possibilities for extra-curricular involvement and chances for us to come together as a community.

Enjoy this newsletter and the ‘flash back’ to the events of the past month including our:

Winter Walk to School Day with an amazing 370 student walkers (not to mention many enthusiastic parents) braving the snow and enjoying the hot chocolate treat upon arrival!

The epic Valentine’s Day Bake Sale with an incredible outpouring of support and goodies from families allowing us to raise $2500.00 toward our Water Bottle Filling Station in just a day and a half!

Our Black History Month Assembly featuring staff and student dance, song and spoken word. This has been a three year journey for us. The first year, the focus of the BHM assembly was ‘Slavery’. In year two, it was ‘The Road to Freedom’. This year, the focus was on a ‘Celebration’ of black culture and contributions in our community, our country and our world.

Technology explorations are flourishing as the Churchville drone, Charlie, is up and flying. Robots are in action. Peel Technical Skills challenges are beginning and more.

Sports are in high gear. Congrats to our Senior Boys winners of the Gold Medal in the divisional Basketball finals!

Yearbook sales are here! I really encourage everyone to order this very special momento capturing all the special moments of the 2017-2018 year at Churchville! This is not a fundraiser at all. We have kept costs to a minimum to make this affordable for everyone.

There is far more going on than we can possibly highlight in this newsletter, so do please check in with our e-announcements daily to find out what is happening when. This is THE source of complete, up-to-date information!

Subway Days are coming to Churchville. Students in Grades 1 through 8 conducted ‘blind taste tests’ of sub options and, on their recommendation, we will partner with Subway to offer Tuesday Sub Days beginning in April. Six inch subs with choice of filling, choice of bread and choice of toppings will be available to order on School Cash On-line immediately. We will look for Sub Days to start April 3rd, in first nutrition break. Please remember that these lunch order options are just that – optional.

Churchville Chatter

Home of the Chargers

Newsletter Edition 4

March 8, 2018

The Adventures Continue…

Stay up to date. Following us on twitter (Churchville PS). Check our daily e-announcements at

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zhKgqvCFfd4U5tN1R3SG7d07mwW0AO2VMcp5RbcVQMk and by

checking our website http://schools.peelschools.org/1436/Pages/default.aspx .

Newsletters are published bimonthly and posted on our website.

All families are invited to click on the link below to access the daily e-announcements from home. All students are encouraged to review the e-announcements daily to stay up to date with what is happening in the school. Upcoming events, tryout and practice times, and daily news are posted on the e-announcements. Be sure to check them out!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zhKgqvCFfd4U5tN1R3SG7d07mwW0AO2VMcp5RbcVQMk

Our Black History Month Assembly this year was a culmination of what our students have been exploring in class all month. This year's assembly focused on the amazing contributions of Oscar Peterson, Sheku Mason-Kanneh, Jillian Christmas, K'Naan, the Johnson brothers, and more. Their drive to rise above adversity continues to inspire all of us here at Churchville.

On Friday, February 23, the Social Justice League, along with a few socially conscious grade 5 students, participated in the Coldest Night of the Year. They walked 5km in the rain to raise money for the homeless in our community. Churchville students raised a whopping $440! That money goes directly to Regeneration Brampton, an organization that provides hot meals, clothing, and medical attention to the neediest members of our community. Way to go Churchville!

On Februray 14th and 15th, Churchville P.S. held an enormous Bake Sale. Your baked contributions were plentiful. We are very thankful and grateful for your donations that have made this event possible. We raised $2,500.00 for a water fill station. A water fill station will allow our students to fill up their water bottles with ease and will keep them hydrated throughout the day. Without you, it just wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you so much for your support.

On February 22, 2018, 154 kindergarten students and 35 educators and volunteers loaded onto three buses and headed to Mountsberg Conservation Area in Milton. While there we enjoyed being outdoors; exploring the play barn, animal barn, raptors walk and, of course, learning how to collect sap to make maple syrup. The best part of the trip was tasting this sweet Canadian treat. Many students were excited to travel by bus for the very first time and all enjoyed this outdoor adventure.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR

VALENTINE’S DAY FUNDRAISER BAKE SALE

DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

KINDERGARTEN NEWS

In February, our Eco Team joined forces with the Region of Peel to conduct a school wide recycling and garbage audit. Student leaders collected one full day’s worth of garbage and recycling. With the help of the Region of Peel representatives, we sorted the garbage to see how much waste we were producing as a school and how well we were recycling. It turns out that we have some growing to do to ensure we are recycling properly and reducing our waste.

SmartWheels is an elementary school program developed for students in grades 4 to 6 to educate them about the harmful risks associated with alcohol, drug use and impaired driving. The SmartWheels program was delivered by Harrison, a MADD Canada Facilitator, in a modern, leading-edge and fully equipped mobile classroom. It was an impactful and empowering presentation.

ECO TEAM NEWS

MADD SMARTWHEELS CANADA PRESENTATION

A huge thanks to everyone who joined us last month for our ‘Winter Walk to School Day’. Despite the snow falling and the chill in the air, over 370 students, along with teachers and parents walked to school that day. You could hear the school spirit throughout the neighbourhood as groups of students chanted our school song as they walked to school. Greeted by proud teachers and students, our winter walkers were warmed up with hot chocolate and a sense of knowing that they had taken part of a wonderful community event. Churchville took part in this celebration to show that walking to school is not just for warm sunny days. As the old saying goes: there is no bad weather- just bad clothing choices!

Thank you to all the students, staff, and parents at our school who helped us increase awareness and enthusiasm for walking to school in snow, rain or shine. Let’s keep it up! Bundle up and get some fresh air and sunshine as you take part in helping the environment and a healthy active lifestyle.

On January 31st (Bell Let’s Talk Day) and throughout the month of February, we have been talking about mental health and gratitude. Our school focused on five ways we can help end the stigma behind mental health and the six positive effects of gratitude. We focused on these traits because research has shown that gratitude increases positive thinking and helps to shift perspective from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. The Positive Effects of Gratitude 1. Gratitude improves physical health. 2. Gratitude improves psychological health. 3. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. 4. Grateful people sleep better. 5. Gratitude improves self-esteem. 6. Gratitude increases mental strength. Bell suggest 5 ways to help to communicate about mental illness, show your support and to help those who are struggling overcome their concerns about seeking help: • Language matters - pay attention to the words you use about mental illness • Educate yourself - learn, know and talk more, understand the signs • Be kind - small acts of kindness speak a lot • Listen and ask - sometimes it's best to just listen • Talk about it - start a dialogue, break the silence

WINTER WALK TO SCHOOL DAY

GRATITUDE

Days are coming in April!

Intermediate artists dazzled at the Alton Mills Art Centre in February. What an AMAZING location! It really was an artist's dream! Students created pieces in an Urban style for their show entitled, 'Our Voice; Our World'. Thank you to everyone who came out to our gala to meet the student artists, and to watch our Dance Crew and Glee performers. We're feeling the energy of Spring up in the Studio! Visual Artists from all grades are working hard to make artistic magic! Keep a look out for some amazing ceramics, paintings, sculptures and media pieces that we have in the works!

Churchville's 2017-2018 yearbook is now on sale! 56 full-colour pages packed with photos and memories! The yearbook costs $18 through School Cash Online or $20 if cash is brought to the main office. Yearbooks will be on sale until Friday, April 27th and will be delivered at the end of the school year in June. Every yearbook purchase before Friday, April 20th gives students a chance at winning a prize! Further information can be found on the Churchville E-Announcements.

ART NEWS FROM THE STUDIO

YEARBOOK – DON’T MISS OUT ON THE MEMORIES

CONGRATULATIONS SR. BOYS BASKETBALL!! On Wednesday February 28th our Sr. Boys Basketball team competed in their Divisional Tournament. We finished second in round robin play, putting us up against Caledon Central in the semi-finals. Our team came out strong and defeated Caledon Central to clinch our spot in the finals. In the finals we came up against a tough Dolson team, but our teamwork, commitment, and execution helped us bring home the gold medal and championship banner. We would like to congratulate our Sr. Boys Basketball Team on winning the Division 5 Championship!

GO CANADA GO! Mrs. Carl’s grade 3 students had a case of Olympic fever this month! They supported team Canada and cheered on our male and female athletes as they competed in Pyeong Chang, Korea. The Grade 3 students researched an athlete of their choice and tracked their progress as they competed in the winter games. They created informative paragraphs about their athlete and recounted an event that their athlete or another athlete competed in. Students showed their support for team Canada through their artwork by creating maple leafs that were composed in shades of red and black. During DPA Mrs. Carl’s class learned more about different events by “trying out” the sport with Olympic task cards. After watching our athletes compete and learning what it takes to be an Olympic athlete, it was clear to this group of Grade 3s what it means to be resilient and how the character traits we strive to achieve at Churchville Public School are valued by our Olympic athletes too.

CLASSROOM NEWS

NEWS FROM THE GYM

GRADE 2 NEWS

THE GRADE 8 MARBLE CHALLENGE As part of the Understanding Structures and Mechanisms, Systems in Action strand of science, grade 8 students completed their “Marble Challenge” projects. Each group was required to design and build a device that could lift and move marbles a distance of 30 cm. Students approached the problem from a number of different directions which included the use of Lego, circuits, motors, inclined planes and conveyor belts. Several groups also used their skills with the 3D printer to design and print their own Archimedes’ screw.

Earlier this month, during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Peyongchang Korea, Grade 2 students participated in some exciting hands-on learning opportunities in the classroom. After researching the different sports that athletes around the world were competing in, students in 2A were left with many questions and a curiosity to know more about many of the various Olympic events. We began some STEAM activities where the students were challenged to design, create and test their own mini versions of Olympic athletes. Students created Bobsleds and timed their races down various inclined planes and measured the distance each one went. Magnets were used to give life to little figure skaters on a metal pan. Using popsicle sticks, straws and toothpicks, students were engaged in producing little skis and snowboards to test, race, measure and time. This inquiry allowed the students to test their inventions and discover where they could make changes and improvements in order to have their mini athletes move successfully, faster or longer.

CHURCHVILLE SKILLS In the coming weeks, junior and intermediate students will be taking part in the 2nd Annual Churchville Skills Challenge. The event is designed to enhance the engaging learning already taking place in our grades 4 to 8 classrooms and will give students an opportunity to further hone their 21st century skills. Each grade level has been given a specific challenge and, working in groups of 4, students will use hand tools, wood, glue and their creativity to design and build prototypes to solve their particular problem.

Grade 4

Design and build a machine that incorporates gears and pulleys to safely pick up and move water storage tanks.

Grade 5

Draw an orthographic sketch and then build a prototype of a temporary aquatic habitat for creatures displaced by an oil spill

Grade 6

Design and build two vehicles powered by air. The prototypes will be compared for efficiency and practicality.

Grade 7

Created a detailed drawing of a water treatment plant and then build a carefully measured model of their design.

Grade 8

Design and build a machine that incorporates hydraulics to safely pick up and move water storage tanks.

LEARNING WITH OUR DRONE

When Ms. Trajkovska’s class was struggling to understand maps and bird’s eye view, we got some help from our Drone team. The intermediate team brought the Drone to the library where footage was displayed our library TV. We explored how a view above changes the way things look. Students were delighted to see the Drone close up and our intermediate students had an opportunity to lead the class and support younger students. From there we explored different bird’s eye views using Google Earth. What shape is the Eiffel tower from above? What does our own community look like? Students consolidated their understanding by using satellite imagery to evaluate what they saw and create their own maps. And the Drone has become our students new favourite technology.

GRADE 5 BUILDING CHALLENGES During their study on how forces affect structures, students in Mme Couture’s Grade 5 class were busy completing several building challenges during the month of February. From testing towers, to designing a bridge and last but not least, they were testing their wind cars last week. A special MERCI goes to grade 8 teacher Mr. Haynes and his students for cutting 15 sets of wheels that class 5 AF used for their EPIC wind cars.

March 8 Spirit day - Dress like your favourite book character March 9 Skills Ontario presentation on Career opportunities in skilled

trades and technologies- Gr. 7, 8 March 12 – 16 March Break MArch 20 Boys Basketball game @ Sandalwood SS- Gr. 5, 6 students March 21 Spirit Day - Lots of Socks Day March 21 Immunization Clinic (Round 2) - Gr. 7, 8 students March 22 Tchoukball Tournament - Gr. 7, 8 students March23 Girls Basketball @ RJ Lee - Gr. 5 ,6 Girls March 30 Good Friday – no school for students and staff April 2 Easter Monday – no school for students and staff April 9 Junior Peel Skills April 10 Intermediate Peel Skills April 10 Comic Art Workshop - Gr. 2 to 5 April 11 International Day of Pink April 19 Robotics @ Turner Fenton School April 20 Spring Social - Gr, 7, 8 students April 30 Immunization Clinic (Round 3) – Gr. 7, 8 students

ParentConnect

Online parent portal to access important student information

The Peel District School Board is excited to announce the launch of ParentConnect, an online parent portal to access important student information. The pilot program was introduced at select schools and phased in to all Peel schools on Feb. 23, 2018. What is ParentConnect? ParentConnect is a safe and secure website, created by the Peel District School Board, that acts as a single point to stay informed and to access all electronic services provided to Peel board parents and legal guardians. The parent-friendly website will allow you to:

view school-based alerts and information access real time absence reporting view current and historic elementary report card information

get up-to-date busing information review secondary school credit history and diploma status and more

To learn more about the benefits of ParentConnect, visit our school website or

www.peelschools.org/parentconnect

Important changes coming to SafeArrival system in May 2018 The Peel District School Board is currently using the SafeArrival system by Synervoice Technologies. As Synervoice has been sold to West Communications, there will be slight changes to our SafeArrival system and how you will report your child’s absence from school. The phone number to report your child’s absence will stay the same, but there are a few other changes. Beginning May 14, 2018, all elementary school parents/guardians need to report their child’s full-day absences, late arrivals and/or early departures from school via our new School Messenger SafeArrival system.

The phone number will stay the same: 1-855-209-6155 Website has changed to: go.schoolmessenger.ca Download a new app: School Messenger App (from Google or Apple) (please be sure to delete the old Safe Arrival app after May 11)

Please continue to use our current Synervoice system until Friday, May 11, 2018. The new School Messenger SafeArrival will be live on Monday, May 14, 2018. Important to note: The transition to a new company and system will require parents to set up a new account with School Messenger SafeArrival as data will not be transferred from the old system to the new. More information on how and when to set-up your new account will be coming in the next months.

Build Happiness External factors often only have a partial influence on our level of happiness. Promotions, new relationships and lucky lottery wins give only a temporary boost to happiness before we return to our baseline. Sustained happiness takes work. Listed here are a few exercise ideas that, when practiced frequently, can build habits of happiness. Journal About Gratitude Every night write down three good things about your day. They don’t have to be major. They might be as simple as a good meal, talking to a friend, or getting through something difficult. Say, “Thank You” Keep your eyes open throughout the day for reasons to say “thanks”. Try to notice and recognize the actions that people do, such as a coworker who works hard or a friend who seems willing to listen. Take a Gratitude Walk Go for a walk and make a special effort to appreciate your surroundings. You might notice the smell of flowers, a pretty building, or a soothing breeze. Spend a few minutes focusing on each of your senses (sight, hearing, taste and touch) to find new things you may not have noticed.

Parent resources help you support your child’s learning At the Peel District School Board, our mission is to inspire success, confidence and hope in each child. There is no doubt that families play a vital role in helping us achieve this goal. As our partner in education, we hope you'll stay connected to your child's learning throughout his or her entire school experience. Visit www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild to explore all resources available to parents. There you will find easy-to-navigate buttons that connect families to tip sheets and web pages on a number of different topics, including math, homework, special education, EQAO and mental health.

Prevent the flu. It's in your hands. Hand washing is the most important way to prevent the spread of infection. Always wash your hands with soap and water when they are dirty.

Clean your hands before:

i. touching your eyes, nose or mouth ii. touching/preparing food or drinks

iii. eating or drinking iv. caring for someone in your home who can easily get sick (baby, elderly or someone who

has an unhealthy immune system) v. first aid

Clean your hands after:

i. touching pets or other animals ii. touching raw meat, particularly chicken

iii. touching surfaces such as a railing or grocery cart iv. touching money v. touching objects sick people have touched

vi. touching blood or body fluids such as urine, vomit or feces vii. contact with those who have a cold, the flu, diarrhea or virus of any kind

viii. changing diapers ix. wiping your own or a child's nose x. sneezing or coughing

xi. using a facial tissue xii. using the washroom

xiii. removing gloves xiv. cleaning xv. gardening

What to do when you cough or sneeze:

i. cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve ii. put used tissues in the wastebasket

iii. clean your hands with soap and water or a hand sanitizer

For more information call Peel Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.

2018 March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre Open Wednesday, March 14th - Saturday, March 17th 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as Spring blossoms. Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional family experience with a visit to its maple syrup bush. The March Break programs runs from Wednesday, March 14 to Saturday March 17 from 10 a.m. with the last presentations of the day at 3 p.m. The Peel District Sugar Bush program has been in operation for more than 40 years and provides families with an educational activity and a hands-on experience. The program is run by Peel District School Board teachers and staff during March Break. Families are invited to get involved as spring come to life in the following activities:

help tap trees and empty sap buckets.

Sample some homemade maple syrup.

Hike along our trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand.

Learn how pioneers collected and produced syrup compared to modern-day operations.

Experience the indigenous roots of sweet water.

Visit the sugar shack where the sap boils and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of the chimney.

The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/child 12 and under. Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hotdogs for you to roast over an open fire. Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta: North on Mississauga Rd, Left on King Street (You will see Credit View P.S. on your left), Right on Winston Churchill Blvd (You will pass the Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) to the top of the hill and left into the Jack Smythe site. For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771.

Using social media safely

With the growing number of social media sites, it is no surprise that social media is the most common form of communication for children and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads, tweets and texts have become a regular part of their lives. While there are many positive benefits to using social media, including staying connected with friends and expressing your interests, students must be cautious in their use of these networks. Among the most popular social media platforms used are Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and Whatsapp Messenger. Many of these platforms are free and are available on smartphones and other electronic devices. These platforms are easy to navigate and often allow information to be shared instantly, not only with friends, but with strangers. On social media, it is important to remember that the world is watching. Here are some tips, provided by the Canadian Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to keep your children safe and help them make smart choices when using social media:

Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the way they use it or the settings.

Have a conversation about what is appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge repercussions that could damage their reputation and be harmful to others.

Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they come across something they find worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.

Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments, photos and videos all form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available on the internet forever, even if it is subsequently deleted.

Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection, and that they shouldn’t do anything online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Users should only accept people they know in order to protect themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using social networking sites to commit crimes.

Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually ‘talking’ to online, even if they think they do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text with strangers, and it’s never okay to meet a stranger in the real world.

Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn how privacy settings work on your children’s favourite sites, and teach them how to control their privacy.

Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes, but is not limited to, his or her full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance number, credit card information and parents’ full names.

Limit the amount of time that your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the importance of healthy and appropriate use of technology.