Assessment for Learning at Dolson P.S.

Reporting is one of the many ways we try and communicate to parents about how your child is doing academi-cally, and developing their learning skills at school. It is a way to indicate progress in relation to the standards established by the Ministry of Education. Your child is always at the centre of learning and it is very important that he/she be a part of the assessment, reporting and learning process.

As part of the reporting process, teachers invite parents to review their child’s progress at a conference. This is a valuable time for parents to converse about how their child is doing from their perspective and to ask questions about learning. The student should be an active participant at the conference. It is, after all, their learning journey. All students, regardless of age, have a vested interest in their own progress and should be an instrumental part of the dialogue. In the event that you, or your child’s teacher, need to have an adult-to-adult conversation please set aside another time for meeting with the teacher, or schedule a few minutes for that to happen following the conference.

Mrs. Schoettler, Mr. Romanet and I look forward to seeing you at our Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences on November 16th and 17th.

Halloween was a spooktacular event for Dolson students and staff! Many of our students and staff paraded

through the hallways, KG to grade 5 students participated in a Monster Mash in the gym, Gr. 6 to 8 students had special activities to end the day, and we had a door decorating contest. Many students also had the op-portunity to tour the “haunted house” created by our very talented and spirited Mrs. Hargreaves and her stu-dents. Today was a memorable day as our Dolson Dragon mascot made his debut at the school! Thanks to the students and staff who made this a very special day.

Regards

Mr. S. Sabourin Mrs. S. Schoettler Mr. D. Romanet

Principal Vice-Principal Vice-Principal

November 2017 Newsletter

Dolson Public School (905) 796-4462

Principal: Vice-Principal: Vice-Principal: Superintendent: Trustee:

Shawn Sabourin Sarah Schoettler Dennis Romanet Hazel Mason Suzanne Nurse

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Another Exciting Month at Dolson!

A big congratulations to both the Senior X Country team who participat-

ed in their regional tournament on Oct 25th at Heart Lake Conservation

and the Jr. X Country team who participated in their race on Oct 27th at

Caledon Central. Excellent performance Dragons! Big shout out to the Jr. Co-ed Soccer

team who participated in their tournament on Oct 26th at Agnes Taylor PS. Great team-

work Dragons!

#chooseACTION on Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

The Peel District School Board will recognize Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week during the week of Nov. 20 to 24, 2017.

This year, we ask our Peel community to ‘#chooseACTION to be inclusive’ in their classes, offices, schools, or communities, in order to make these spaces better places for everyone. The Peel Board would like to hear about the big and small actions, the pledges, the promises and the

attitudes that our Peel community value, and ask that you take a moment to share your #chooseACTION moments on social media.

Across the Peel board, schools use many programs and initiatives to prevent bullying and to

Intervene when bullying happens. Though the programs vary, their messages are consistent.

Students are taught to:

-define bullying

-identify forms of bullying

-identify the shifting roles in bullying relationships, for example the person who bullies, the target, the bystander or the trusted advocate

-determine how to safely “choose action” to prevent and intervene in bullying and harassment

-understand that bullying is a relationship problem with relationship solutions

-determine positive ways to interact with others in an accepting, inclusive way

-demonstrate character attributes and be a leader to help maintain positive and safe school communities

Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week is one of the key items contained in Bill 13: The Accepting Schools Act, that came into effect on Sept. 1, 2012. For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/aboutus/safeschools/bullying or www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/prevention.html.

Congratulations to our Open House Scavenger Hunt winners:

Duaa Hashmi, Yuvraj Sahi & Jaiveer Kahlon.

Bus cancellation and 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, television stations and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca or by calling

905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

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 busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school clas-ses, 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 Peel 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 Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing educa-tion 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 Peel board offices are cancelled, including

continuing education courses and events.

Nov. 24 opportunity to say 'thanks' to Peel Custodial & Maintenance Workers’ Day In 2014, the board of trustees declared the last Friday in November as the Peel Custodial and Maintenance Workers’ Day. This year, the recognition day falls on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. Take this opportunity to thank the important work of custodial and mainte-nance workers and their hard work and commitment to well-being and safety.

Community Corner

Stay up-to-date with community-based opportunities

The Peel District School Board is pleased to introduce an electronic resource page on www.peelschools.org called, Community Corner, which contains links to information and resources in the community that may be of interest to students and their families. This site

replaces our previous method of sending promotional materials about community clubs, camps, contests, fundraisers and events home with students on a regular basis.

How you can access Community Corner

1. Visit www.peelschools.org/parents/communitycorner

2. Click on the “Community Corner” button, found on the main page of school websites, as well as on www.peelschools.org.

Courtesy Seating on the Bus: Many families have been inquiring about and filling out a courtesy seat form for the bus. As you may already be aware, courtesy seats are the remaining temporary (if available) seats on a bus that are granted to students who are not eligible for bussing. At Dolson, almost all of our students are bussed and those that aren’t are within walking distance to the school. Our neighbourhood continues to have new home closures and accessible streets. With this, new families are registering to our school and those who are eligible are granted bussing. This may mean that students who have been granted a courtesy seat, might be removed from the bus to make room for those who are eligible. Please be aware that this may happen throughout the year. As well, at this point in time, we have some busses that no longer have available seating. Parents are asked to find alternate arrangements or simply to support your child with walking to school by ensuring they are wearing warm clothing and walking with friends or a family mem-ber. More information about eligibility and courtesy seating can be found on www.stopr.ca.

Is French Immersion right for my child? If your child will be starting grade 1 in September 2018, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to apply for the French Immersion (FI) program.

What is the program like? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the program?

One way to help answer these questions is to attend the information meeting on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the French Immersion school your child would attend.

To find out the FI school your child would attend:

-visit our website www.peelschools.org/French -call the school in your area

Online application

The application form for Grade 1 French Immersion for the 2018-19 school year will be available online at www.peelschools.org/French on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m.

The deadline to register is Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m. Applications received after that date will be put on a waiting list.

A French Immersion enrolment cap is in place. This means that a specific number of spaces are available for students entering grade 1 French Immersion. A random selection process will be used to identify students gaining entrance into the program. For more information about the random selection process visit www.peelschools.org/French.

Is Extended French right for my child? If your child will be starting grade 7 in September 2018, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to apply for the Extended French (EF) program.

What is the program like? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the program?

One way to help answer these questions is to attend the information meeting on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the EF school your child would attend.

To find out the EF school your child would attend:

-visit our website www.peelschools.org/French -call the school in your area

Online application

The application form for Grade 7 EF for the 2018-19 school year will be available online at www.peelschools.org/French on Fri-day, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m.

The deadline to register is Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m. Applications received after that date will be put on a waiting list.

Important dates

Information meeting Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017 at 7 p.m.

Application process opens Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m.

Application deadline Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m.

For more information

visit www.peelschools.org/French

call your nearest French Immersion or Extended French school

talk with parents who have children in the French Immersion program

visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca

Time for school - A parent’s guide to regular school attendance

Elementary school is a wonderful time in the life of a child, a time of great strides in learning and in social and emotional develop-

ment. Many things affect your child’s success including your child’s regular and timely attendance.

Getting to class on time, and avoiding absences, are critical if your child is to get the most out of school. It seems obvious. But the fact is that elementary students tend to miss an average of eight or more school days during the year. What can you as a parent do to help ensure your child’s proper attendance?

Is your child missing more? Why does attendance matter?

First, understand that getting to school–every day and on time–matters at every level, perhaps even more so in elementary school. That’s because important learning occurs daily, right from the start of class. And because you establish patterns early on. By being punctual and responsible, children are acquiring positive habits about school attendance. Some other things to consider:

By being late, children miss important social time with their peers before school begins.

Students who are late often feel embarrassed or self-conscious.

Late arrivals can disrupt the routine of the classroom.

Too many missed school days can increase isolation, as the child stands out from her classmates and misses opportunities to develop socially.

A last-minute rush can be stressful for the child, and the child may arrive to school in the wrong frame of mind.

Missing even five or 10 minutes of the day can make it harder for the student to understand the material being taught.

Frequent absenteeism leads to gaps in a child’s skills and knowledge base, cause the child to fall behind his peers and hurt his self-esteem.

Absenteeism makes it tougher for the child to develop a good rapport with the teachers and makes it harder for students to demonstrate their learning to teachers.

When Time is Ticking

Few homes run like clockwork. The morning routine, especially, can be a mad scramble. But there are effective strategies for getting your little one up and out the door on time.

Get your child to bed at a reasonable hour.

Set realistic and consistent schedules and rules at home. Getting ready for school should be part of the child’s overall routine, something that’s expected every day.

The night before school, do whatever is necessary to shave time in the morning, such as setting out clothes, packing lunch, and setting schoolbags at the door.

Have a set morning routine that the child can easily follow, i.e. washing hands and face, going to the bathroom, dressing, making the bed, brushing teeth, and eating a healthy breakfast.

Avoid any distractions that can slow the child down, like TV or games.

If you’re running late regularly, set your alarm to get up earlier.

For more information about program information, busing, fees and the application process/dates, contact the school or visit www.peelschools.org/RegionalPrograms.

Secondary school applications open Nov. 6, 2017

Regional Learning Choices Programs offered by the Peel District School Board empower students by providing them with opportu-nities to develop and explore skills in a particular area of interest. Regional programs are open to all students who meet the crite-ria for acceptance. Students and their families are encouraged to attend the information night for the program of their choice to receive more information about the program and application details.

Transportation is not provided for students in regional programs. If students have been accepted into a regional program and they live within the school boundary, they are eligible for busing only if they meet the distance criteria outlined in the board’s Transportation Policy #39.

All regional programs may include annual fees, including an application fee. The application process for secondary regional pro-grams opens Nov. 6, 2017. Application dates for middle school programs vary from school to school.

Programs

Advanced Placement – Central Peel SS and John Fraser SS

Arts – Cawthra Park SS and Mayfield SS

Graphic Design Management – TL Kennedy SS

International Baccalaureate – Erindale SS, Glenforest SS, Harold M. Brathwaite SS and Turner Fenton SS

International Business and Technology – Meadowvale SS, North Park SS and TL Kennedy SS

International and Executive Leadership Academy – TL Kennedy SS

SciTech – Chinguacousy SS and Port Credit SS

Sports – Applewood Heights SS

Strings – Central Peel SS and Port Credit SS

Truck and Coach Engineering and Technology – Bramalea SS

Help your teen plan for grade 9 course selections for 2018-19

Soon, current grade 8 students will select their courses for grade 9. Before they do, we want to ensure that they have the opportunity to consult with their teachers, guidance counsellor, if applicable, and their parents.

As our partners, families are encouraged to help prepare their teens for course selection. We encourage you to become familiar with the process by creating a myBlueprint account. Additionally, parents/guardians and students can review Chart Your Course, the Peel District School Board’s common course calendar, at www.peelschools.org/students/commoncoursecalendar. This guide will help you under-stand the course selection process and provide information on the courses and programs offered in Peel secondary schools.

You can also visit www.myBlueprint.ca/Peel, an online planning tool that includes the following:

high school planner for course selection

goal-setting

career spectrum for finding your learning style

occupation planner for exploring careers

post-secondary planner for opportunities after high school

The grade 9 course selection process will be open from Nov. 13 to 30, 2017. If you have questions or are looking for course suggestions, please contact your teen’s teachers or guidance counsellor.

November 2017

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1 Pizza Day School Council Meeting 6:30

2 3

6 Gr 4- CCAT testing

7 Photo re-take day Gr 4- CCAT testing

8Fletcher’s Meadow teachers

visit gr. 8’s at Dolson

Pizza Day Gr 4- CCAT testing School Council Meeting @ 6:30

9 Gr 4- CCAT testing

10 Gr4-CCAT testing Report cards home Remembrance Day Gr. 4-8—9:30 K-3—10:20 (Parents welcome)

13

14

15 Pizza Day

16

17 Reporting to Parents– No school

20 Bullying awareness & prevention week

21

22 Pizza Day Superintendent Visit to Dolson P.S.

23 24 Peel Custodial & Maintenance Workers’ Day

27 28 Gr 3– Peel Art Gallery Museum Archives Trip

29 Pizza Day

30

Celebrating Faith and Culture

November 2017

DATE CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

November Freezing Moon Aboriginal Spirituality

November 1 All Saints Day Christianity

November 1 Samhain Wicca

November 3 Qudrat (thirteenth month) Bahá'í

November 4 Dev Diwali Jainism

November 4 Birth of Guru Nanak Sikhism

November 11 Remembrance Day Canada

November 16 Louis Riel Day Aboriginal Spirituality

November 22 Qawl (fourteenth month) Bahá'í

November 24 Martyrdom of Guru Teg Baha-dur

Sikhism

November 25 Day of the Covenant Bahá'í

November 27 Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Bahá'í

November 28 (J) First Day of Advent (Christmas Christianity

November 30 Milad-un-Nabi Islam

November 30 Maun Agiyaras Jainism