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A Message from the Principal

Our first month at Ramer Wood Public School has been a very busy and exciting one! Early in September, our Ramer Wood Staff completed our Health and Safety training and spent our planning time learning about each student’s strengths, interests and areas of need. Together we looked closely at individual student profiles and class profiles and discussed how best to support and plan for student achievement. The first 20 days of school focuses on creating the classroom routines and practices to allow for differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each learner in our classes. We take great pride in knowing our learners and programming for their needs.

On Wednesday, September 30, we held our first School Council

meeting of the year where we elected a new Council to represent

our school community. I am pleased to announce the following

team of Council Executive members for our 2014-2015 school year:

School Council Chair : Sandra Aldcorn and Bilyana Drenoksi

Secretary : Pam Martin Treasurer: Jamie Aldcorn

Thanks to all of the parents who came out to be a part of our general council. Meetings are open to all parents and we will post Council Agendas in advance of a meeting. Our next School Council meeting is on Wednesday, October 28th at 6:30 p.m. in our school library. Please do speak with our Council executive if you have any items to add to the agenda. Hope to see you there.

Please follow us on Twitter @ Ramer Wood.

Principal Kelli Cote

Principal Ms. Kelli Cote

Kelli.cote@yrdsb.ca

Administrative Assistants Ms. Reta Tuckey Ms. Noshi Merali (905) 471-6512

Lead Caretaker

Mr. Alvin Ramchard

Trustee Mr. Allan Tam (647) 476-3655

Superintendent, CEC-East

Mr. Dan Wu (905) 940-7800

School Council Chair

Ms. Sandra Aldcom Ms. Bilyana Drenoksi

Ramer Wood P.S. Website

www.ramerwood.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/

CONNECTIONS RAMER WOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL

11 CAIRNS DRIVE , MARKHAM L3P 7M8

905-471-6512

WWW .RAMERWOOD .PS .YRDSB .EDU .ON .CA

October, 2015

Character Matters!

October’s Attribute is Responsibility:

We are accountable for all our actions. We follow through on our commitments.

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Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and are scheduled for:

* Wednesday, October 28th

* Wednesday, November 25th

* Wednesday, January 27th

* Wednesday, February 24th

* Wednesday, April 27th

* Wednesday, May 25th

We believe that all students have the right to feel like this is their home - that they belong - that they are respected as individuals and that they have a voice.

Ensuring a safe environment at Ramer Wood begins with our Safe Arrival Policy. You will receive a phone call home in the morning if your child is absent and you have not re-ported their absence. Attendance is taken immediately following the National Anthem which is played each day at 8:45 a.m. - the beginning of our instructional day. Please call the school office when you know your child will be late or away from school. Ms. Tuckey and Ms. Merali make it a priority every morning to check on the safe arrival of each of our Ramer Wood P.S. students.

Safe arrival . . .

SCHOOL COUNCIL . . .

communication

We believe communication is critical for student success. Your children, our students, MUST see us as partners in their education. We will contact you when (and if) your child develops patterns of poor decision making, and when they are not engaged in their learning. We will ask that we work together to strategize our next steps towards improvement.

We will also contact you when there is reason for specific praise and celebration of success as we are often proud of student achievement and are excited to let you know - as well as to ask you to extend the praise at home. Please do keep the lines of communication open. Let us know about medications your child may be on, planned trips, or conflicts that may affect your child’s day to day learning. Our understanding of these matters will benefit your child’s self esteem as well as their achievement levels.

Let’s work together as partners in education and have a great year of learning and growing together.

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PAGE 3 CONNECTIONS

We celebrate student success and develop character through our Leader by Example and Character

Matters! program. Each month selected students are recognized as a ‘Leader by Example’, and we celebrate

their successes at our monthly assemblies. We will continue to celebrate our younger students’ efforts to be

the best people they can be, by earning a leaf to be placed on the growing tree in our front foyer. We are

proud of our students’ individual accomplishments and we hope that you join us in recognizing their growth

and individual successes. For our monthly assemblies, our Student Council selects the spirit theme which is

communicated through announcements and posters throughout the school in advance. Parents are welcomed

to attend these monthly assemblies and dates of our Leader by Example assemblies will be shared via the

school calendar which can be accessed on our website.

Character Respect Responsibility Courage Empathy Optimism

Matters! Initiative Honesty Fairness Integrity Perseverance

Kiss and Ride

There is only one entrance to the school which will be at the south end of the school. This will allow for traffic to flow in one direction. Parents will use the inside lane to drop their children off and then continue moving to exit the bussing loop (north exit). The parking lot has become very hazardous to both students and community members.

We have also created three visitors spaces at the front of the school for those who have to come into the office to meet with staff or drop items off for their children.

I would like to thank the school community for understanding our need to restrict parking in the drop off area. Your help in this matter has been greatly appreciated we are thankful for your support as we work together to ensure student safety.

Ramer Wood Public School Parking

EXIT ONLY

Bus Loop

Entrance

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Our Ramer Wood Code of Behaviour is in the front section of your child’s agenda. It states that we are committed to promoting a safe and supportive climate wherein the needs, rights and responsibili-ties of individuals and groups are appropriately balanced.

Our goal is the development of citizens who will think critically, make decisions wisely, respect others, and behave responsibly.

Appropriate behavior is the expectation of every student at Ramer Wood Public School. Reasonable conse-quences for inappropriate behavior are intended to help students understand the need to change the behavior and follow the expectations of the school. Consequences for not following the School Code of Conduct can result in one or more of the following:

Apology when necessary

Resolution/reconciliation/restitution for damages

A verbal or written warning

Counselling, mentoring

Time-out within or outside the classroom

Contact with a parent / guardian (verbal and/or written)

Removal from co-curricular activities

Behaviour and/or performance contracts

Detention (s)

Withdrawal from the classroom

Withdrawal of privileges and/or exclusion from special activities, e.g. sports teams, house league, dances, school trips, etc.

Formal suspension from school (In serious situations)

Expulsion for specific actions

The consequences levied will be chosen to match the severity and frequency of the offence and will be determined with the input of staff, and in the context of the York Region District School Board’s Safe and Supportive Schools Policy (#668), Respectful Workplace and Learning Environment Policy (#240) and Discipline Policy (#3630) and the Provin-cial Code of Conduct (2007).

School code of behaviour

Bill Crothers Secondary School (BCSS) is a system-wide school with a focus on healthy active living and sport. The school is open for Grade 9 to 12 students. Students and parents from across the region are invited to attend an information evening. Information will be shared regarding the vision, mission, schedule, programs, the transfer policy, and application process.

All information sessions will occur at Bill Crothers Secondary School, 44 Main Street, Unionville, Ontario, L3R 2E4 from 7 – 8:30 pm in the cafeteria.

Wednesday October 7, 2015 – Students in the West & North Region

Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Students in the East Region

Thursday October 15th, 2015 – Students in the Central Region

Due to building capacity regulations, we request that only students and parents interested in attending BCSS for the school year 2016 - 2017, attend one of these evening. Parking is limited so we ask that parents carpool or park at the GO Station. Markham By-law officers regularly enforce the parking regulations on school property, so please abide by the posted parking regulations.

Bill Crothers Information Sessions

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At Ramer Wood Safety Comes First

To ensure that all our students arrive safely to our school, we kindly ask for everyone’s collaboration by following the school rules.

Morning Drop-off:

A. If you park your car and walk your child to school, please make sure that you don’t cross the drive-through area with your child.

B. If you are dropping-off your child on the sidewalk or our school drop-off loop, please ensure that:

1. Driver does not leave the vehicle.

2. Backpacks and lunchboxes should be easy for students to access (do not bring them in the trunk or the front seat).

3. Remind your child to not cross the drive-through area.

4. The drive-through loop is only one lane. Please be patient and do not attempt to pass buses or cars at any time.

Afternoon Pick-up

Dismissal is at 3:15 p.m. Please refrain of picking your child up 10 minutes before the bell rings since this creates stress for the student and congestion in the hallways. Instead, wait for your child in their respective pick-up areas:

Kindergarten: In the kindergarten gated area

Grade one, two and three: Back of school

We thank you for your continued cooperation in keeping all students safe!

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

I am an employee of the York Region District School Board: □ Yes □ No

I have read the Glad Park Constitution (see school website): □ Yes □ No

Signature ____________________________________

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Picture Day

School Council

HepB/HPV-

Gr.7/8 Students

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

This month we are challenged to Rethink our use of lighting. Simply turning lights off when not in use is one very effective way to reduce energy consumption and help the environment. A significant savings in energy is achieved when lights are turned off in classrooms during the lunch period. An effective strategy is to assign someone the responsibility (e.g. an ‘energy monitor’) for turning lights off in classrooms during recess and lunch periods. This can easily be achieved in the workplace as well.

2015

Lunch

Folco’s

Folco’s