DECEMBER

NEWSLETTER

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." The staff at Eldorado School wish one and all a happy and prosperous New Year. CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD - MUSIC CONCERT Come enjoy an evening of music making, dance and joyful

singing! On December 14th at 6:30 p.m. Mrs. Norbury, along with Miss. McNeil, will feature

the students from their music classes. Students from the following classes will be participating: Ms. Elahi, Ms. Merchant-Haider, Ms. Cooke, Ms. Villa,

Ms. Hodgkinson, Ms. Williams, Ms. Raybould, Ms. Peseski, Ms. Wilson, Ms. Abdur-Rashid, Ms. Quinn and Ms. Gaughan. As well, students from the grade 6 mania classes and all grade 7 and 8 band students, and any students

who are members of the Eldorado Singers and Eldorado Winds. All students are asked to wear a dressy outfit for this evening (no jeans) and to arrive at school for 6:00 p.m. to their assigned classroom on the first floor. If you wish a front row seat to this event or even a saved parking spot near the front door, be sure to buy your raffle ticket from our Music Council.

Tickets will be sold during nutrition breaks at a cost of $2.00 or $3.00 for five tickets. The winning tickets will be chosen on December 11th at the end of the school day and you will be advised on the 12th via your child’s agenda. You

won’t want to miss this exciting event! Our Parent Council has also arranged to have Santa take time from his busy schedule to join us for a photo op! ($2.00)

You will travel to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, France, and of course, our wonderful country Canada where we are hoping for some winter snow!

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION - MUSIC CONCERT

Hello from the Music Department, where Concert season is in full swing! Our students have been working really hard on their songs for our upcoming Winter

Christmas Concert which is taking place on Thursday, December 21st at 6:30pm in the gym. This concert will feature students in Grades 3-8 from Mrs. Tersch’s Music classes and our extra-curricular Pebbles Choir which is for students from Grades 1-3. Students are asked to wear Christmas colours

(Red, Green, White, or Silver) clothing and Christmas type hats/jewellery (Santa hats/Reindeer antlers if they have them) for the night of the concert. Please arrive at 6pm to drop off your child at their designated classroom and then head to the gym to find a seat. We hope you will be able to join us and start your holiday season off right with songs and good cheer.

PEBBLES CHOIR

Pebbles Choir meets once a week on Tuesdays during 1st Nutrition break with Mrs. Tersch all year long and is for students in Grades 1-3. These

students have been working hard since September, and have shown great dedication to their Music learning and singing abilities. Pebbles Choir can also access their songs online so they can practice at home, by doing the

following: Access the Eldorado P.S. Website → My Class → The Music Room

MUSIC CLASSES COMMUNICATION Students in Grades 3-8 can find important announcements and their music for the concert online on their Google Classroom Music site to help them practise at home and be organized and prepared for their Music classes. Students should be checking this regularly for updates and parents also have access to this site. Parents will need to set it up through your child’s school email. It is a great way to keep in touch between home and school with your child’s teachers.

SPIRIT WEAR Eldorado has launched an online spirit wear store. Families and students can go directly online to choose from many options, customize your garment and have it delivered right to your door. Take a few minutes to go into the online store and see what it has to offer. http://eldoradopublicschool.entripyshops.com/

RAPTOR’S GAME

On Friday, November 17th, 126 staff and students attended a Toronto Raptors basketball game at the Air Canada Centre. This was a first for Eldorado Public School! The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and had a fantastic time. Thanks to staff for providing this memorable opportunity.

DENTAL SCREENING Peel Public Health is offering a FREE dental screening to Eldorado PS students in JK, SK, 2 and 4 on January 9-11, 2018. The dental screening assessment will be completed by a Registered Dental Hygienist. If you do not want your child to be screened, please visit the web portal at http://www.peelregion.ca/dental/schoolscreening or call 905-799-7700 extension 5622 by January 8, 2018.

HELP SUPPORT R.I.S.E. Once again, the R.I.S.E. Room is busy creating beautiful and unique ornaments for your Christmas trees this year! These decorations have been made with help by students who have autism. By creating and selling these ornaments, the students work towards further developing their skills in independence, piece work, packaging, and money skills. When you purchase an ornament, you are supporting the academic and life skills programming for the students in the R.I.S.E. Room. They will be sold on the evenings of both Christmas concerts (December 14th, and December 21st). An

ornament is $3.00 - $5.00 each and is as unique as the student who helped to make it! FOOD DRIVE The Me to We Club would like to give a sincere thank you to all of the students at Eldorado School and their families for donating to our We Scare Hunger Food Drive. Together, we filled 20 large boxes with food and sanitary items for The Knight’s Table Food Bank in Brampton. Your kindness and compassion truly made a difference to the lives of many families living in Peel. We would like to give a special thank you to Ms. Sparling’s class, who brought in the most items in the Primary division, Ms. Raybold’s class, who brought in the most items in

the Junior division and to Ms. Chadha and Ms. Gelina’s classes, who brought in the most items in the Intermediate division. Ms. Gelina’s class should also be congratulated for bringing in the most items in the entire school - AMAZING!!! We would also like to thank Ms. Sparling’s Grade 3 class and Ms. Williams’ Grade 4 class for graphing the results of our drive and for sorting all of the food for The Knight’s Table. Together, we have made a positive impact

in our community. Thank you to Mrs. Williams for organizing the drive. CASHLESS SCHOOL SCHOOLCASHONLINE Pay school fees online – register today. The Peel District School Board is excited to announce that your child’s school now offers a new, preferred method of payment for all school fees. School Cash Online is a safe and secure form of online payment that allows you to pay for your child’s school items, like filed trips and pizza days, from your computer or smartphone using eCheck, Visa or MasterCard. Register now By registering, you’ll have the ability to:

- Keep track of your children’s school item and activity fees - Check account history - Print or view receipts - Make donations to school fundraisers online and instantly receive a tax receipt - Pay for school fees with the click of a button

For more information and to register, visit https://peelschools.schoolcashonline.com. It you have any questions, please contact the school directly.

NEWS FROM THE GYM Eldorado’s athletic teams have been doing their best representing Eldorado at the Division 4 tournaments. In October we had a boys and girls soccer team compete in a 1 day division tournament. Cross country saw 46 athletes travel to Heart Lake Conservation to compete in the Brampton Cross Country

meet. We are currently in volleyball season. Eldorado has 5 teams competing against other Peel schools; a senior boys and girls, junior boys and girls and for the

first time a grade 4/5 boys and 4/5 girls team. January is the beginning of basketball season. We continue to offer intramurals every second nutrition break. We started with soccer in September and October. Basketball started in November and will continue into December. All students are welcome during their intramural day. Finally Fitness Friday continues to be a success. We have offered cross country running, circuit training, Tabata training and Yoga. We will continue Fitness Friday all year long. All are welcomed to atten BULLYING PREVENTION WEEK During the week of November 20th – 24th, students and staff at Eldorado School focused on bullying awareness and prevention. Bullying awareness and prevention week was started to help students and staff put an end to bullying. This year’s theme was #choose ACTION to create an inclusive environment which values respect and embraces the diversity and equity of others, where people have both the feeling and reality of belonging, so that everyone can achieve their full potential. Students engaged in various activities. They listened to Anthony McLean a motivational speaker whose message was to do good. Younger students paired with older students to trace their hands and write a positive action on the hands and lastly teachers engaged students in various discussions and activities in the classrooms.

SCHOOL BOOK FAIR

CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS Volunteer Criminal Record Checks to cost $33 as of January 1, 2018 Peel Regional Police have advised us that, as of January 1, 2018, Criminal Record Checks – Vulnerable Sector Check for adults, including those for volunteers, will cost $33; students and seniors will remain at the current cost of $25. Processing of CRCs for volunteers is free until the end of December 2017, with Form A provided by the school. CRC application forms are available in the lobby of Peel Regional Police Headquarters, and at the Square One Community Station, or online by accessing the link on the Peel Regional Police website: https://www.peelpolice.ca/en/services/vulnerablesectorcheck.asp.

STAY WARM: Help your family stay warm this winter Canada Safety Council recommends the following tips for staying comfortable and preventing hypothermia when working or playing outdoors:

- Wear a warm hat—most body heat is lost through the head. Children should keep an extra hat at school.

- Wear layered clothing. Layers allow warm air to stay trapped around the body. - Protect your feet and hands. Wear loose waterproof boots. If the boots have liners, carry

an extra pair to replace damp ones or take an extra pair of socks. Invest in thick socks to keep your feet warm. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Carry an extra pair of mittens to school, on outings, etc.

- Prevent dehydration and exhaustion, which can lead to hypothermia. Drink plenty of fluids and pace yourself when doing vigorous activities.

- Stay fit by exercising and eating well—people who are fit are less susceptible to hypothermia.

- If you stay indoors, avoid moving from a hot environment to a cold one. Excessive sweating caused from an extreme change in temperature increases the risk of developing hypothermia.

- Eat high-energy food such as nuts and raisins. A balanced diet will also help keep you warm and healthy in the winter.

- If you are travelling (on the road or in the wilderness) carry emergency supplies. SCHOOL ABSENCES Time for school - A parent’s guide to reporting school absences. All parents/guardians of elementary students need to report their children's absences or late arrivals from school via our automated SafeArrival system. Whether it is an illness or another absence and you decide to keep your child home, please report your child’s absence via the SafeArrival system quickly and conveniently in one of the three ways: Call an automated, interactive toll free number – 1-855-209-6155 (Please note – You must wait for confirmation) Report absences online by accessing the SafeArrival parent portal on pdsb.schoolconnects.com Download the SafeArrival mobile application for Apple and Android devices

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONS

We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2014, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2018. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school he/she will be attending to register. Peel schools will also hold a Kindergarten Registration Week with special registration activities during Jan. 29 to

Feb. 2, 2018. Visit Eldorado from: Jan. 29 to 31, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 1, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 2, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. What you will need to bring to registration Proof of child's age (one of the following)

- Canadian birth certificate - Canadian passport - citizenship card/certificate - Permanent Resident Card - confirmation of permanent residence - work permit - refugee permit

Proof of address (one of the following)

- Ontario driver's license - utility bill - bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution) - credit card statement - federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents) - purchase agreement

Proof of custody – children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation supports an alternate living arrangement Proof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is the easiest and fastest way to stay connected to the amazing things happening in the Peel District School Board. Follow @Peelschools on Twitter to:

learn about our schools and programs

find out if buses are cancelled during bad weather

share the Peel smile

Follow @Peelschools on Instagram where we share motivational and

inspirational #PeelProud moments.

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www.facebook.com/peelschools.

Our school is on social media too!

Follow us on Twitter @EldoradoPDSB