Thomas Street Middle SchoolFebruary 2016 VOLUME 16, ISSUE 4

2640 Thomas Street, Mississauga, ON L5M 5G8Phone: 905-812-3725 Fax: 905-812-3716

Visit our Website regularly for updated informationhttp://schools.peelschools.org/1654

Principal’s PenIt’s hard to believe that we are half-way through the school year already! I don’t know about you, but I am thankful for the mild winter we have had, and am looking forward to spring.

Since returning from winter break, Thomas Street has been a hub of activity and very busy – between basketball, choirs, bands, cheerleading, wrestling, photography, arts club/council, and a range of other clubs, there is as much to get involved in as you want. I encourage you to visit the “School News” tab throughout the week to see reminders and new events that are posted daily for students. This is a helpful tool for parents to use as dinner conversation as well. Our Grade 8s have been working closely with their homeroom teachers and Mr. Morosin our Guidance counsellor, to complete course selections and a group of students is working to prepare our incoming Grade 5 students for their orientation. Teachers have been working diligently this month to complete final assessment tasks and prepare relevant and informative report card comments about their students and their progress in terms of learning skills and work habits, as well as achievement of the big ideas in the various subjects. Report cards and examples of your child’s successes will be shared with you in the First Term Report Card coming home on February 10th. This is a wonderful opportunity for you and your child to recognize and celebrate their progress and successes and assist in setting goals for the second half of the school year.

I’d like to welcome parents and guardians to our next School Council meeting on Monday, February 8th at 6:30 pm in the Library. At the request of parents, I will be providing an overview of curriculum and assessment. If you’d like to find out more, please come and join us!

Wishing everyone a wonderful February, and special family and friend time on our Family Day weekend and Family Day on Monday, February 15th – No School.

Tanya TymkivPrincipal

From the Physical Education DepartmentIn PE class, the students have begun their "At home push-up Challenge" while the always exciting basketball unit continues. Our second health unit on Fitness and Nutrition is upcoming.  Look for the package in your child's PE duotangs.

Ski trips are coming up and the meeting to discuss important details will happen shortly. Listen to announcements. The Raptor trip is full. Please make sure your child is listening to announcement so they can check lists and attend meetings. These trips are vast and we need their help to get it organized.

The Cheerleaders are working hard for their upcoming meet. The Wrestling team has started up. The Basketball teams continue to practice and the Sr. teams are doing well in their league play and tournaments. The Sr. Girls just won gold at the recent Mentor College tournament. The Sr. Boys have won two silvers at the TSMS tip off and Mentor College.

Congratulations:On January 11th our 5 on 5 Hockey Team participated in the Dolphin Hockey tourney at Iceland Arena. Our team faced some pretty tough competition throughout the day. Our team persevered and played their very best through some very challenging games. We are very proud of the sportsmanship and hard work our team displayed throughout the tournament. Thanks for a great day of hockey!

From the Green TeamWalk on Wednesdays still continue in winter and especially "Winter walk Day" on Wednesday February 3rd. Not only is it good for your heart to do some walking, but it also reduces cars in the Kiss and Ride lane and creates less pollution.

National sweater day is February 5th where we encourage everyone to wear a sweater to school and at home to be able to turn down the thermometer so we can all save energy and still stay warm.

Green team will still meet on Fridays and a special thanks to our parent volunteer Marcia Covill who visits TSMS to help out with the Green team. We are gearing up for spring and the Earth hour promotion and Earth day events.

Leann EberleyChess club has now started....Runs on Mondays and Tuesdays at lunch. Reminder to bring in $2.00 material fee as soon as possible.

Sign language club meets on Fridays at lunch.

The Howl (school newspaper)...subscriptions will be on sale for $1.00 or 50 cents each copy. Great way to get reading and keep up on the latest.

Celebrating Faith and CultureFebruary 2016February Buxwlaks Aboriginal SpiritualityFebruary 1 or 2 Imbolc WiccaFebruary 3 Setsubun-sai ShintoFebruary 7 to 26 month of Mulk Bahá’íFebruary 8 Lunar New Year/Maitreya

Bodhisattva’s BirthdayBuddhism

February 10 Ash Wednesday ChristianityFebruary 12 Vasant Panchami HinduismFebruary 15 National Flag Day CanadaFebruary 15 Family Day OntarioFebruary 22 Lantern Festival/Magha Puja BuddhismFebruary 26 to February 29

Intercalary Days Bahá'í

Offence Declaration required for returning volunteersParents play an important role in the development and education of their children and in the success of the school community. At Thomas Street Middle School we welcome and encourage the participation of parents and community members, and are grateful for the countless hours our volunteers contribute throughout the school year.

To volunteer at our school, you must complete a short interview and a criminal record check. A criminal record check is required for all school volunteers in Ontario. Even if you want to accompany your child on a field trip, you need this record check.Once you have completed the process, you are on file with the Peel District School Board as being a school volunteer. All returning volunteers will be mailed an Offence Declaration Form that must be filled out and returned to the board office each year. You will not be able to volunteer with the Peel board if you do not return this form. Forms will be mailed home in February.

School closed for PA Day on April 11, 2016 As a result of labour settlements with various federations and employee groups, the Ministry of Education has directed all school boards to create an additional Professional Activity Day this year and for each school year going forward. For the 2015-16 school year, the additional PA Day for the Peel District School Board will be April 11, 2016. All Peel board elementary and secondary schools will be closed to students on this day. The next day, April 12, will remain a Day #2 for students.

Closing schools due to bad weather

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather.

Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio and television stations listed below and posted at www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca. Information will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9 CHUM AM1050 CFTR AM680CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1CFRB AM1010 EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CTVCITYPULSE GLOBAL NEWS

One of the following messages will be announced (highlighted text only):

Peel District School Board buses are cancelled. This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require bussing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will operate as usual.

All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed. This means that all schools and Board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits.

All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

Conference helps parents make a difference in numeracy and beyondThe Peel District School Board is hosting its annual parent conference on Saturday, April 2, 2016, at Rick Hansen Secondary School in Mississauga. Once again, the conference will focus on numeracy—26 out of 61 workshops help with math. Parents will still have the opportunity to attend workshops on other topics, including literacy, special education and science.

This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels.

Registration is now open.Stay up-to-date!For more information, look out for the conference flyer at your child's school or visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.

Register today for Adult ESL or LINC classes Do you know an adult that is interested in improving their English language skills for work, study or daily life?

Through the Continuing & Adult Education department, the Peel District School Board offers a wide variety of English language classes that help parents experience success in Canadian English in both listening/speaking and reading/writing. Courses are designed for a range of basic, intermediate and advanced English (Levels 1 to 7) as well as the more experienced learner needing to prepare for an IELTS exam.

Winter courses begin February 8, 2016.

All learners that complete a session will earn a certificate of learning from the Peel District School Board.

Classes operate from six locations in Brampton and Mississauga with three specially designed adult centres at:

Bramalea - Adult Education Centre - 25 Kings Cross Road, Unit 3 Brampton - Adult Education Centre - #300 - 7700 Hurontario Street Mississauga - Adult Education Centre - 100 Elm Drive West, Room 117

To learn more or to register, call 905-270-6000. Also visit www.peelschools.org/adulteducation or follow us on Twitter: @PDSBLearnESL

Facts matter:Understanding the revised Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum

There’s been a lot of information and misinformation circulating about the revised HPE curriculum. At the Peel District School Board, we want our families to make an informed choice based on facts. That’s why we created a neutral, fact-based parent guide that outlines:

the curriculum is not new and has been taught since 1998 our professional staff teach in a sensitive, age-appropriate manner parents will get advance notice of lessons teaching of human development and sexual health delayed to spring 2016 there will be only two to five lessons per year the material that will be covered in each grade parents play a vital role in supporting the curriculum

To read the full parent guide and learn more, visit www.peelschools.org/HPEThe guide is available in English and the top languages spoken by Peel families:

Insπre. Gr23ness. 2gether.

Everyone is a math teacher, parents included

Parents and other adults in our students' lives are important partners in children's mathematics education. By engaging your children in thinking and talking about mathematics, you help support their numeracy success.

To help you with this, one great resource is the Ministry of Education's Doing Mathematics With Your Child. You can find this guide for parents of children in kindergarten to grade 6 online at www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNumEn.pdf. For more math tips and tools for parents of kindergarten to grade 12 students, visit ABC 123 at www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc123/eng/tips/ and the Peel District School Board’s Math Help site at www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild/math. ________________________________________________________________________

REGISTER TODAY

Saturday, April 2, 2016 – 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Rick Hansen Secondary School, Mississauga

Plan to attend our annual, free conference for Peel District School Board parents on Saturday, April 2, 2016. Take one day to enjoy: a powerful keynote presentation focused on math success your choice of 61 practical workshops facilitated by Peel board staff a display area with educational exhibits from local organizations free lunch and an opportunity to meet Peel parents

This year, a large number of morning workshops will provide parents with strategies to help you support math success at home. Flyers are being sent home with Peel students

now—look for yours. Register today at www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.

Thomas Street is now on Twitter and Instagram! Please follow us @thunderwolves98 (twitter) and tsmspride (Instagram) for up to the minute news and updates at TSMS.

All Peel District School Board newsletter attachments, usually included in the monthly newsletter, are available through our school website at: http://schools.peelschools.org/1654

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Principal: Mrs. T. Tymkiv Vice Principal: Mr. D. Sidia. Vice Principal: Ms. L. Rosatone

Trustees: Robert Crocker 905-890-1010 Superintendent: Dr. Pertia Bent 905-366-8800 Brad MacDonald 905-828-6929 Nikha Dakroub 905-890-1010

Give what you can on United Way Giving Day – Feb. 9, 2016

At the Peel District School Board, our mission is to inspire success, confidence and hope in each student – each and every day. Yet we know that there are many needs in our community that we can’t address on our own, like providing food for families that may go without or supporting communities after a crisis. That’s why we are holding a board-wide giving day in support of United Way of Peel Region, a key partner and supporter of Peel families.

This year, the Peel board has declared Feb. 9 as United Way Giving Day to raise much needed funds for United Way of Peel Region and the network of social service agencies it supports. Whether it’s providing shelter for a mother and her children in Brampton, matching a child who is at risk with a mentor in Caledon, or funding a breakfast program in Mississauga for youth that would otherwise go hungry, United Way of Peel Region offers hope and possibility to thousands in our community.

A donation of: $2 may go towards a warm winter coat for a child. $10 supports a child with interactive, recreational outings for one year, including healthy

snacks and transportation, to help them build their social skills and self-esteem. $25 matches a teen with a caring adult mentor who will meet with him or her several times

each month for fun activities.

This is a completely voluntary campaign and any contributions are welcome. Whether you send a loonie, toonie or cheque made out to your child’s school, your contribution will make a difference. Pledges of $25 or more will automatically receive a tax receipt from United Way of Peel Region. To receive a receipt, you must fill out the pledge form on the back and send it to school with your donation by March 29, 2016.

Thank you for lending a helping hand to those who need it most. Together, we can Inspire Possibility!

United Way Giving Day Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Make cheques payable to your local schoolAll proceeds go to the United Way of Peel Region. Pledges of $25 or more will automatically receive a tax receipt if a complete address is provided below and pledge form is submitted to your school by March 29, 2016.

Name Address City/Province Postal Code AmountPledged

ReceiptRequested