Minto­Clifford Public School March 2016 Newsletter

R.R. #1, Harriston, ON N0G 1Z0 Ph. # 519­338­2920 www.ugdsb.on.ca/minto

Principal: Shelley Grose Vice­Principal: Mark Turner

M. Aitken, Office Coordinator

Principal’s Message It looks like March 1st is going to come in like a lion but the good news is that the end of March should go out like a lamb. The snow continues to fall, cold temperatures and wind chills are here at Minto­Clifford. Snowmen, forts and hills seem to be the main attraction outside. We have had some questions regarding our outdoor recess policy on very cold days. We take the safety of our students seriously. We also realize that getting outside for some fresh air is beneficial and promotes our healthy school message. We have had our students stay in for recess when the temperatures and wind chill are deemed too extreme for our students to venture outside (Environment Canada chart) even for a short period of time. We have also had modified recesses; this is when we send our students outside for a shortened length of time. It is extremely important that students are dressed appropriately for the cold weather. If students are at school they should expect to be outside and should dress accordingly. If your child is well enough to be at school they are well enough to be outside. Inside, Primary students celebrated 100 days of school, and students wore pink, red or white for the Valentine Spirit day and Neon day at the end of the month. Report cards went home and several classes will be participating in Bowling for Kids. Our students also participated in Poems and Speeches. We had Kindergarten registration, and we are pleased to welcome 46 new students to our school for next year, this is amazing! We will continue to offer full­day, everyday kindergarten to students aged four and five. Upcoming dates: March Break starts on March 14th and students return on Monday, March 21st. .

Live Free Campaign Friday March 4th Minto­Clifford Public School will be participating in the Live Free Campaign. Some individuals find it difficult to make ends meet and don’t know what they are going to have for their next meal, something that some take for granted. On Tuesday students will be able to wear a hat for the day with a .50 donation and on Thursday they can chew gum with a $1 donation. On the Live Free day students and staff are encouraged to give up something they take for granted for the day. Staff and students are also encouraged to bring in a toonie to help our school maintain our Morning snack program. All proceeds will go directly back into purchasing food everyday to feed each of our students here at Minto­Clifford PS. To learn more about the food and friends program in our community visit www.livefreecampaign.ca. Help us feed your kids.

A Reminder About Snowballs on School Property In order to maintain a safe environment for all of our students, snowballs are not allowed to be thrown at school. If you could please support us by reminding your child(ren) of this rule that would be greatly appreciated Healthy School Committee ­ Walking is good for everyone

It’s fun and interesting. You get to notice things along the way and meet people in your neighbourhood. It promotes independence and freedom. Children can make more decisions about their journey than they can in the car. They can choose to stop and look at something along the way and they can start to make decisions about road safety. Free to Play Program The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Free to Play Program can help low­income families pay for their children’s recreational activities, such as sports, camps and the arts. Up to $400 per child per year is available for youth from birth through to 18 years who live in Guelph or Wellington County and fall below the low­income cut off. Applying is easy and confidential. Go to: www.childrensfoundation.org/free­to­play or call 519­826­9551, ext 23.

THE SCIENCE FAIR IS FINALLY HERE!!!! TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016, *ALL DAY* *OPEN TO PUBLIC 4-7* Some students will be hosting our very first Science Fair.

Some students have independently been working hard to complete a science project. On Tuesday March 1st these students will be demonstrating their projects for the school and then it will be open to parents from 4:00 ­ 7:00 that evening. Snowdate will be Wednesday March 2nd 1:40 ­ 3:00, unfortunately the gym will not be available in the evening. Looking Ahead to Grade 8 Graduation The Grade 8 graduation ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 28th at 6:30 in our gym. A Grade 8 Parent Committee will be set up and begin to meet to organize the celebration that follows the ceremony. If you would like to volunteer to serve on this committee, please call the school at 519­338­2920 and speak to Mr. Brunet (ext. 402) or Mr. Novikow (ext. 406) to have your name added to this committee. L&M Grocery Tape Collection Update Thanks to everyone who has supported this fundraiser for the School Council and to the grocery stores for having this program. Please keep sending grocery tapes in. We would like to thank the community School Council representative and school volunteer, Mrs. Dorothy Pike, for collecting and adding up of all of the tapes. Funds raised are used by the School Council to support students’ learning at Minto­Clifford. Collection of Milk Bags Students in Ms.Cramer’s class continue to collect milk bags to help people in third­world countries. By collecting milk bags we are giving people a mat to sleep on. Help us out, by sending in your outer milk bags. Thank­you!

Pick up and drop off Thank you for respecting our no­parking bus area. Student drop off parking is available at the far side of the parking lot. Students may not use front doors before and after school. Students entrances are through the gate by the parking lot, the junior pathway or the entrance by Enviroland (Portable). Also, please note that students are to arrive no earlier than 8:30 if walking or dropped off. Staff are still arriving at school as they don’t start work prior to this time. This month we have noticed students coming earlier and

earlier and on cold days they are standing outside as early as 8:05 before staff are even at school. This is a safety concern. School Climate Survey for Students and Parents During the week of Feb. 29 ­ March 4, students in grades 4­12 will be completing a School Climate Survey. The purpose of this survey is to determine whether or not our students feel that their school provides a safe and inclusive learning environment. The survey asks general questions about how the student is feeling at school, as well as specific questions about bullying. Staff and parents are also being asked to complete a climate survey about their school. Parents can use the following link to access the survey, or the survey can be accessed through our school website. https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_87VAOCZ4TdwN52Z

Grade 7&8 Quebec Trip Every other year our Intermediate students go to Quebec at the end of the year. They learn more about and celebrate the French culture. This is an expensive trip costing over $700 for each students. The students do several fundraiser events to help with this cost. During the week of March 7th ­ 11th students can Buy a Bunny for a Buck.

Purchase a 6 oz. solid milk chocolate Easter Bunny for only $1 (while supplies last) during our 2 Nutrition break in the Front Foyer. Also… A raffle to win World Finest Easter Basket filled with several types of chocolate. 1 Ballot for $2 or 3 for $5. This will be after March Break. Sale days are March 24th & 25th. All monies raised will go towards the Intermediate Quebec trip.

Feedback welcome on draft policies The Upper Grand District School Board is welcoming public input on draft policies. Currently under review are Equity and Inclusive Education (#504) and Alcohol and Drugs (#513). You are invited to review the draft documents and submit online feedback at www.ugdsb.on.ca/policy. The deadline for public input is April 13, 2016. Persons without internet access may call 1­800­321­4025 ext. 723 to request a printed copy of the draft documents.

A message from Wellington­Dufferin­Guelph Public Health For school attendance, students are required by law to provide proof of their child’s immunization to Public Health. To find out what vaccines are required and if your child’s immunization records are up­to­date, please call 1­800­265­7293 Ext. 4396. You can also book an appointment for immunization at any Wellington­Dufferin­Guelph Public Health location. If you’ve chosen not to immunize your child, you must have a notarized statement of medical exemption or a statement of conscious or religious belief on file with Public Health. Please contact Public Health at 1­800­265­7293 Ext. 4396 to arrange for your child’s exemption to be on file if you have not already done so. If the Medical Officer of Health declares an outbreak in your child’s school and his/her medical record is not up­to­date with Public Health, or you have an exemption on file, your child will not be allowed to attend school for the entire duration of the outbreak. Help Your Child to be More Resilient Life can be stressful for both children and their parents. When children learn how to handle challenging situations in positive ways and to bounce back after a negative experience they become more resilient. Resilient people are happier, healthier and more successful in life. Children learn resiliency skills from the adults in their lives. Here are some ideas to help you to build resilience in your child:

1. Build a caring and trusting relationship: listen to your child and talk about their day, share cuddles or hugs, play or do activities together.

2. Think positive: each evening ask your child to share a positive thing that happened during their day. You could share something positive that happened in your day too!

3. Gently challenge your child’s negative thinking: If your child has had a stressful experience, acknowledge their feelings and help your child see that experience as only one of many things that happened that day: “It sounds as if Max really hurt your feelings by not inviting you to play hockey. Did you play with him at another time? Did you play with some of your other friends?”

4. Build confidence: allow your child to do things independently as often as possible; such as getting dressed , helping to make dinner, wrapping a birthday gift, helping with a chore. Only give guidance if absolutely necessary.

5. Allow your child to feel that he or she has control over his or her life: allow your child to make age­appropriate decisions, such as what to wear, a choice of what to have in their lunch (“would you like a banana or yogurt?”), what book to read before bedtime, what movie to watch on the weekend.

6. Model and practice calming: When you are dealing with a difficult situation show your child how you calm yourself down. Practice calming with your child (deep breathing, counting to 10, going to a quiet place).

7. Model coping: when you have a problem, talk to your child about how you solved the problem calmly. What did you think about as you were solving your problem?

8. Build your child’s coping strategies: Help your child think through a challenge. Help your child to know that the issue is just temporary and that he or she can solve the problem. Support your child in coming up with a solution. In supporting your child in building resiliency skills you are developing a positive outlook that will last a lifetime. For more information on resiliency please go to the website below.

Source: Reaching In, Reaching out Website: http://www.reachinginreachingout.com/resources­parents.htm Talking About Mental Health – March 2016 Kids Do Well If They Can ­ Collaborative Proactive Solutions In our schools we use a positive supportive approach with all our students. One such approach that we follow in our schools is Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS). This is a very effective way to help children and youth who are struggling by working with them to building skills and resources. Dr. Ross Greene, who developed Collaborative Proactive Solutions, believes that Kids Do Well If They Can. If they are not doing well it is because they’re lacking the skills not to be challenging. If they had the skills, they wouldn’t be challenging. Dr. Greene also stresses that Doing well is always preferable to not doing well (if a kid has the skills to do well in the first place). When children and youth are faced with challenges that are too much for their skills and resources, they often engage in challenging behavioiur because they do not have the skills to engage in positive behaviour. Challenging behavior in children and youth is best understood as the result of lagging skills (in the terms of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving) rather than as the result of lack of motivation on the child/youth’s part. And second, the best way to reduce challenging behaviour is by working together with the child/youth – collaborating – to solve the problems setting them in motion in the first place. Dr. Greene’s Collaborative Proactive Solutions is a very successful approach for children and youth presenting with a variety of challenging behaviours, which is why we use this approach in our schools. Dr. Greene also has many tips for parents, so they can use Collaborative Proactive Solutions at home. If you are interested in learning more, please see his website: http://www.livesinthebalance.org/parents­families Information for this article has been taken from Dr. Ross Greene’s website. Dr. Lynn Woodford, Psychologist, is the Mental Health and Addiction Lead for Upper Grand District School Board Follow me on twitter: @drlynnwoodford

Talking About Mental Health – Anger and Calm March 2016 When one of my children was about 8 years old, he had a lot of anger in him. He would shout, slam things, throw things, break things and stomp about. When he got very angry, it was upsetting for all of us, but particularly for him. He did not like the way he felt when was angry, but it seemed to come on so fast. He would quickly feel out of control and then feel upset afterward about what had happened. So, when he was calm, we talked about his anger. We drew pictures and read stories about dealing with anger. And he told me “Mom, when I am angry, don’t talk to me, just let me go to my room and be angry, when I feel less angry I will talk to you”. So the next time, he was angry and started yelling, I started to say “What is making you so angry?”, but he stopped me and said “Mom, you promised you wouldn’t talk to me when I am angry and would let me just go to my room”. It was hard not to try to solve the problem, but I let him just go to his room and yell and

throw things. After about 30 minutes, he came down and we talked about what was up. He knew he did not like being angry and needed to gain some more skills to be able to deal with his anger. He decided he wanted to do meditation to help with his anger, which he did, and over time, it helped a lot. We all get angry. Different things set off different people. We all have our pet peeves and our easy triggers. Often our child/youth know how easy some of our buttons are to push. When our child/youth gets angry, it is hard not to get upset and respond in anger. But we all know that does not usually result in the best outcome. Here are some tips for dealing with anger in your child/youth and yourself.

1. Don’t respond to anger with anger. It is hard not to, but yelling at our child/youth when they get angry makes everyone feel out of control and increases the anger. No one likes the feeling of being out of control. The best thing you can do is remain calm and not feed the fire of the anger. Have compassion for your child and how they are feeling.

2. Don’t try to reason with an angry person. When someone is angry, they are not able to process what you are saying. Their brain space and energy is taken up by the anger and they don’t have much space left to think, process and reason. Instead, wait to have the conversation until you have both calmed down.

3. Pay attention to how you are reacting. When dealing with someone who is angry, often our heart rate increases and the adrenaline begins to pump. The trick is for you to have already practiced how to stay calm, so when you are in these challenging situations, you know how to calm yourself. By staying calm, you are not engaging in a power struggle, which escalates the anger.

4. Allow your child/youth time to be angry. Allow them a safe place to let off steam. So long as they are not hurting themselves or others, let them be angry and safely calm down. It also teaches them that feeling angry is OK and we can learn how to process our anger in a safe way.

5. Give consequences for the behaviour, not the emotion. Teach your child/youth that whatever they feel is OK and it is OK to feel frustrated and angry. However, there are still rules and consequences. Don’t negotiate or change the rules when trying to get an angry child to calm down. In the moment, the focus is on calming strategies. After the child is calm, then a have a discussion of safe ways to express anger.

6. Take a break. For most of us, we need a break from the person and situation, so allow your child to take a break. This helps our kids to calm down and also allows ourselves to calm down as well.

7. Make a plan. When everyone is calm, talk with your child/youth about what helps them stay calm and what calms them down when they are upset. Create a plan of what things the child/youth finds calming and empower them to use those strategies. It could be music, breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, physical activity, drawing or just being on their own for a bit. Whatever works for them is included in the plan. Calming strategies that a child/youth will use when angry need to be taught and practiced regularly, so they can be used when the situation arises. Include strategies to keep calm and decrease frustration and then what to do when they feels really angry. Having a plan makes you and your child/youth feel like you have some control over the anger. The child/youth knows that the anger does not control them, because they know what to do when it happens.

Role model appropriate responses to anger. Show your child/youth how you deal with anger. You can say things such as “I am getting frustrated, so I am going to take a break” or “I can’t talk to you right now, because I am upset. I am going to calm down then we can talk”. Admitting that you are angry and need to calm down is not a weakness. It takes strength to talk about your feelings. You are teaching your children

Primary Poem Presentations 2016

Each year the Harriston Legion sponsors Primary Poem Presentations here at Minto­Clifford Public School. Students in grades K­3 chose a poem and learned it at home, before presenting it in class this month.

The students pictured above were chosen from each primary class to recite their poem on stage, on Thursday, February 11th. They presented to an audience of students from Kindergarten to grade 3, parents, friends and family, teachers and Legion representatives. Congratulations to all of these students. Thank you to parents for supporting their child(ren) with this at home, to classroom teachers for supporting students at school and to the Harriston Legion for partnering with our school each year for this event.

Well done everyone!

Junior Poem Presentations 2016 On Thursday, February 11, 2016 the Harriston Legion Branch held their Junior/Intermediate Public Speaking Competition at Minto Clifford Public School. The following students competed in the junior division: Cameron Lytle, Macy Dykstra, Shayla Glazema, Megan Hymers, Lauren McLaughlin, and Autumn Lancaster. In the intermediate division, Enya Kelly, Sabrina Smallegange, and Caitlyn Aasman competed. The students entertained the audience by speaking on a wide variety of fascinating topics. Our honourable judges, Mrs. Bauman, Mrs. Darroch, and Miss Foerter, had the difficult task of choosing the top three speakers in each division. Here are the results:

Junior Division 1st Place ­ Megan Hymers Topic: “Moving to the Farm” 2nd Place ­ Lauren McLaughlin Topic: “My Sister” 3rd Place ­ Cameron Lytle Topic: “The Blue Jays Winning Season”

Intermediate Division 1st Place ­ Caitlyn Aasman Topic: “People Who Change the World” 2nd Place ­ Sabrina Smallegange Topic: “Elephants and the Ivory Trade” 3rd Place ­ Enya Kelly Topic: “My Cat, Sugar Ball” Congratulations to Megan and Caitlyn who went on to represent Minto Clifford and the Harriston Legion at the area competition on Saturday, February 27th. Both of the students did an amazing job, Caitlyn placed second and Megan received honourable mention. Way to Go Ladies! Congratulations to all of the students for preparing and presenting their excellent speeches. Your efforts were greatly appreciated.

Engaging Your Child in Mathematics At Home!

As parents we have the wonderful opportunity and responsibility for nurturing our children‛s

growth. Parents play a key role in the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of their child. As parents we can usually find time to read a story to our children, thereby

instilling a love of literature, but we are often at a loss as to how to instill a love and appreciation for mathematics.

Like reading, mathematics is a subject that is indeed necessary for functioning adequately in society. More than that, mathematics is a subject that should be more enjoyable than it is perceived to be. Parents‛ attitudes towards mathematics has an impact on their children‛s

attitudes. Children whose parents show an interest in and enthusiasm for mathematics around the home will be more likely to develop that enthusiasm themselves.

Activities in the Home If you have dice, playing cards, and a bit of time….oh the “number sense” fun you can have.

1. Work on Place Value-use a grade appropriate number of dice and use the numbers rolled as digits to “make the biggest number you can, make the smallest number you

can, make a number close to 100” etc. 2. Work on Number Sense-use 2 die to add numbers together….to make it harder, you

can use the 2 die to subtract, and multiply. 3. War-Use a deck of cards to compare numbers. Each person flips their cards at the

same time, the person with the higher number gets both cards. 4. What‛s my number? Someone holds a card on their forehead and asks the other person questions to try to guess their number (for example, is it greater than 5, is it

odd or even).

Give it a go and have fun building number sense fluency together.

March’s Environmental Theme: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

The environmental theme for this month is not a new one. We are talking about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These are the 3 R’s of environmental stewardship and by practicing them we will help planet Earth. Did you know all of them are not created equal? The best one of

the three is: Reduce.

Reduce means to use less of something. This is the best of the 3 R’s because we don’t even use our natural resources to begin with! What could we use less of? There are many things you can think of. Use less water, or use less paper, or – very important ­ buy

less ‘stuff’.

Recycle is critical if we want to keep things out of the landfill. More and more items are starting to be recycled, so be responsible and put them in the proper containers provided.

If you don't, they end up in the regular garbage and harm nature by forcing us to create more garbage dumps that pollute our planet. We also need to make sure toxic items like paint and batteries don’t end up in the garbage, but are brought to the hazardous waste

depot. And never throw our your old smart phone. Take it back to your cell phone company for recycling. It contains minerals that are being mined in areas that are

destroying precious habitats.

The Möbius loop is the universally recognized recycling symbol. It consists of those 3 circular arrows. We can put compostable items into our organic bins, like food scraps including fruit & vegetables, dairy, meat, breads, as well as paper tissues and paper

towels. We can recycle containers including plastics, glass, metals and tetra paks and milk cartons. And we can also recycle paper, boxboard like Kleenex boxes, and cardboard. So DO NOT throw these items into the garbage at home or the garbage containers here at school. Find the right recycling bin. Let these items be turned into something new again!

Slogan of the month: Don't trash our future! Recycle!

OPTIMIST EASTER EGG HUNT

SATURDAY MARCH 26,2016

9 A.M. CLIFFORD PARK

10 A.M. HARRISTON BALL DIAMOND

11 A.M. PALMERSTON LAWRENCE PARK.

ALL CHILDREN AGE 8 AND UNDER WELCOMED.

For more details, call 519 343 3862

MARCH BREAK MATINEE WED. MARCH 16, 2016

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS ROAD CHIP

2:00 PM

FREE ADMISSION DONATIONS ACCEPTED TOWARDS

1ST PALMERSTON SCOUTS

NORGAN THEATRE PALMERSTON

March 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Science Fair Families welcome to view in Gym b/w 4 and 7 Hat Day .50 for Live Free

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Be a Buddy Day - Wear Pink!

3 Chew Bubble Gum $1 for Live Free

4 LIVE FREE DAY!!! Bowl for Kids Gr 1-5 Mom-to-Mom Sale 5 to 7:30 in Gym

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7 Shade Mills Skiing / Snowshoe Gr. 4/5/6

8 Shade Mills Skiing / Snowshoe Gr. 4/5/6

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Chicken Order Fundraiser Green Legacy / Seeds program

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13 Daylight Saving Time

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24 Assembly 2:40

25 Good Friday

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28 Easter Monday

29 Chicken Order Due

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