Little Falls Public School Heron Happenings December 2013 Helen Brockman – Principal Secretary: Karen Kelly Paul Sproat- Vice-Principal 25 Lindsay Atkinson Drive P.O. Box 1300 St. Marys, Ontario N4X 1B6 Telephone (519) 284-3615 Fax (519) 284-2193 http:// littlefalls.amdsb.ca Secretary: Shirley Campbell Principal’s Message: The world is a nicer place when we’re there for each other. We are so thankful for all of the kindness and support that is given to our school. The response from all of you with your donations of Canadian Tire money, canned food items and gifts let us know that together we are helping others. It is through our kindness toward each other that we create the bond of respect and friendship. On behalf of the staff and students of Little Falls Public School, we wish you a very happy and safe Holiday Season. All the best in the New Year! Love Mrs. Brockman and Mr. Sproat Our Mission Learners Today Leaders Tomorrow We strive to ensure that all students achieve their potential, academically and socially. Math: Knowing how to do math makes our day-to-day lives easier! Children learn best through activities that encourage them to explore, think about what they are exploring, and solve problems using information they have gathered themselves and explaining how they reached their solutions. What Tips can you use to help your child? Be positive about math! Let children know that everyone can learn math. Let them know that you think math is important and fun. Show them how you use math every day in ways such as measuring, handling money, building, and counting plates or forks for the table. TWITTER ADDED FOR WEATHER DELAY/CANCELLATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS As we head toward colder weather, it is likely that winter weather may cause school closures or bus delays and cancellations. The Huron Perth Student Transportation Services, which provides school bus transportation for students attending Avon Maitland District Schools and Huron Perth Catholic District Schools, introduced a new website in 2008 making it easier for parents, students and community members to receive and view information when inclement weather impacts buses and/or schools. This year it will be even easier to find the necessary information as Twitter has been incorporated into the messaging. Every school in the district will have a Twitter account established which will automatically feed information to the ourschoolbuses.ca website. It will automatically post the information on the front page of all individual school websites, and if you choose to be a follower of your school's Twitter account, you can receive these updates direct to your smart phone in real time. The Twitter accounts for each school can also be used to promote day to day school events when the weather is not an issue. Get the Latest on School or School Bus Delays or Cancellations: - Visit the school website (www.littlefalls.amdsb.ca) - Visit www.ourschoolbuses.ca - Listen to CJCS 1240am radio station - Visit www.cjcsradio.com - Follow Little Falls P.S. Twitter account - Receive RSS feeds on your home computer, email program, or smart phone (visit www.ourschoolbuses.ca to set up, or email info@ourschoolbuses.ca for more information) Little Falls Allergy Reduced Policy Little Falls School makes every attempt to be a nut-safe school (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, peanuts etc.) to protect the health of students who have severe allergies. Students must not bring any food products to school for snacks, lunches or group treats that contain nuts or have been exposed to nut oil. Because of asthma and other related respiratory problems, all of our education buildings are fragrance safe. Please check all labels of food that you send to school! Have You Completed the Before and After School Program Survey? We are reminding families that if you are interested in before or after school programs for your four and five year olds and older children for September, 2013, our on-line Before and After School Program Survey should be completed by December 7. The link to the survey can be found on the Board website (www.yourschools.ca). We appreciate your assistance as we continue to determine the feasibility of the program at this school. Should you require a paper copy, please contact the school. Staffing: We have hired Dayna Gardner as a Nutrition Supervisor Educational Assistant, and Cynthia Crete as an Educational Assistant for one of our grade 5 classrooms. Lost and Found: Our Lost and Found box is overflowing!! All items will be on tables in the hall outside the office from December 3rd to 19th. On December 20th, we will be taking any unclaimed items to the Salvation Army. Support Our Fundraiser! As a way to target the problem of lost belongings and a large lost and found collection, Little Falls Public School PIA is fundraising with Mabel's Labels, a company with all types of labels that are colourful, indestructible, easy-to-use and fun! Iron-Ons, Stickies, Bag Tags, Allergy Alert labels & more! Personalize your labels with names, nicknames, initials - whatever you choose. Cool icons help even little ones identify their own belongings. Orders dispatched within 24 hours! Visit www.littlefalls.mabelslabels.com to place your order while helping our fundraiser!” ***You must use this website address for your online purchase to go towards our school fundraiser. You may make purchases online until the end of the school year 2013/2014! About Mabel’s Labels: We are moms who were frustrated by the amount of stuff that left our houses, never to return. After lots of research and testing we created the perfect fun, durable labels for the stuff kids lose! Our sticky labels and clothing labels, which are dishwasher, microwave and laundry safe, are not only practical, but also designed to be very special to each child. The labels are customized with a child’s name, favourite mix of colours and an icon (animal, symbol, etc.). We have also expanded our product line to include personalized stationery products, ID wristbands and household labels.” We strive to continuously design innovative labels for babies, kids and grown-ups alike. You’ll be amazed at what you can label!” Second Pair of Shoes: If you have not already done so, please send a second pair of shoes with students to keep at school in order to keep the water and mud out of the classrooms. Thank you for your support. Kindergarten Registration: We have 55 Junior Kindergarten students registered so far to start in September 2014. If you have not registered your child for Junior Kindergarten for Sept. 2014 please contact the school office and get a package as soon as possible. We will be starting classroom organizing for 2014-15 in January. Holiday Projects: Student Council is facilitating a project to purchase toys for children in need in our own community. They will be collecting Canadian Tire Money and then using these funds to purchase the gifts. Student Council is also organizing a canned food drive for the Salvation Army food bank. The Salvation Army would also like donations of batteries for Christmas gifts. Battery sizes A, AA, AAA, C, D or 9 volt would be appreciated. A Christmas toy drive is also underway at Little Falls Public School. If you wish to donate Canadian Tire money, canned food, batteries, or a toy please send your donation to school with a student, or drop it off at the school office. Thank you for your generosity! Monthly Character Attribute: Compassion This month the students of Little Falls are demonstrating compassion by purchasing toys for those in need, and by having a canned food drive. A Holiday Moosical: The students in grades 1, 2, and 3 have been hard at work preparing for our Holiday Concert. There are two separate groups with two separate nights, so please mark your calendar correctly! Group 1 – Dress Reharsal on Monday, December 9th at 12p.m. Evening Performance on Tuesday, December 10th at 7p.m. Gr. 1 – Brintnell Gr. 1/2 – Martin Gr. 2 – Mahaffy Gr. 3 – McDougall Gr. 3 – Silcox Group 2 – Dress Reharsal on Tuesday December 10th at 12p.m. Evening Performance on Wednesday December 11th at 7p.m. Gr. 1 – Hodkinson Gr. 1 – Rae Gr. 2 – Douglas Gr. 2/3 – Newman Gr. 3 – Weber **Students are asked to be in their classrooms at 6:30p.m. Gym doors will open at 6:30p.m. Come out and enjoy the story of a moose who wants to fly! **A Christmas Stocking will be in place at both performances for donations towards the music program. Carol Sing: Christmas carol singing will be held on Tuesday, December 17th and Wednesday, December 18th from 10a.m. to 11a.m. in the Little Falls gymnasium. Please come and join us! Student Council Event: Red, Green, and White Day will be held on December 19th. Christmas Holidays: School holidays begin on Saturday, December 20th and end on Sunday, January 5, 2014. HEROS DAY: Our third annual Heroes Day was a great success and has made a lasting impression on everyone who attended. The Heroes Day lesson is that you don’t have to be a soldier, or a police officer to be a hero. A hero is anyone who faces a challenge head on, or does something to make their school or community a better place. This year’s ‘heroes’ were Tyler MacGregor, Eric Voss, Scott Lobb, Chris Linklater, Larry Joosse, Tony Winter, Fran Patterson, Rick Hainer, Sydney Wettlaufer, Seth Coddington, and Hannah Froese. Ask your kids to tell you all about them. The Great Postcard Project: Ms. Mahaffy’s grade 2s are collecting postcards from around the world. They will be mounting the postcards around a world map and learning about the countries and places depicted in the postcards. If you have any old postcards that you are willing to contribute to the project, please send them to school with your child. Library: A huge THANK YOU for supporting our Scholastic Book Fair. We were able to add 45 new books to our library, and raised $1400.00 for future book purchases! Knitting Club: Mrs. Arthur and Mrs. Lealess are starting the knitting club in December. At this time we have 80+ knitters signed up. Green Team: The Grades 5/6 and 6 classes planted trees on November 22nd in St. Marys. Community News Holiday Program at PRC: Some spots are available in the holiday program for kindergarten children run at the Pyramid Recreation Centre. The program is on December 20, 23, 27, & 30, and January 2 & 3 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. If you would like to register your child, or have any questions please call Marilyn Greene at (519) 284-3121. Need to call Marilyn Brrr … Taking the Bite Out of Frostbite: Ever notice how much colder it feels when the wind is blowing on a winter’s day? It’s called windchill and it’s important to make sure your kids are protected from windchill and extreme cold. The risk of frostbite increases when the windchill goes below -27°C. Check the weather forecast before your kids head outside. Huron and Perth County winters can bring some very cold days! If it’s going to be extremely cold and/or high winds, make sure your kids:  Dress warmly!  Dress in layers, with a wind-resistant outer layer.  Wear a hat (a large portion of body heat is lost from the head), mittens or insulated gloves.  Wear a scarf, neck tube or facemask to keep their face warm.  Wear warm and waterproof footwear.  Cover as much exposed skin as possible. Ears, nose, fingers and toes lose heat the fastest. You can also protect your kids on those extremely cold days by having them stay indoors, keep out of the wind and keep active. 10 Tips for Building Resilient Kids: Resiliency is the ability for kids to bounce back from life’s experiences. Here’s how you can help – What is coming up with PIA: November Fundraising: Vendor Night fundraiser was held in November. $902.35 was raised at Vendor Night. Thank you for your support! Pizza, Sub, and Milk Orders: Order forms for pizza, subs, and milk for the second half of school year (February thru June) will be sent home the first week of January, 2014. 1. Encourage them to have at least one caring adult role model, other than a parent. 2. Give kids the chance to make decisions, and experience consequences. 3. Kids need to know that they are expected to do their best, whatever that best is. 4. Give kids genuine opportunities to show others what makes them unique. 5. Kids cope best when they feel safe, secure and certain about their next meal. Eat together at least three times a week. 6. Offer kids a chance to make a contribution to their community through volunteering. 7. Give children a chance to show their place in the family by having them help around the house. 8. Tell them about their ancestors so they can have pride in where they came from. 9. Children need to know they’re accepted. 10. Teach kids to stand up for their rights. Teach them how to argue respectfully. For more information visit: www.kidsnowcanada.org From the Cyberbullying Workshop: 10 Tips to Protect Your Privacy Online 1. Think before you click. 2. Know who your friends are. 3. Tighten your privacy settings. 4. Avoid disclosing location. 5. Don’t share your password and change it regularly. 6. Trust your instincts. 7. Understand new features such as geo-tagging before you try them. 8. Be aware of your online reputation. 9. Protect your privacy, as well as that of your friends. 10. Be discreet. Online Tips 1. Be considerate and friendly online. 2. All our actions online can have real consequences offline. 3. Make the web a nicer place for everyone. 4. Just because we can post anything on line, that doesn’t mean we should. 5. Respect other people’s online work and give proper credit. 6. The internet is not anonymous, so think twice before you post. 7. Do not share passwords or private information. 8. What goes online, stays online forever. It’s more permanent that a tattoo. 9. Speak up if you see or hear about someone being bothered online. 10. If you don’t know someone offline, then they are a stranger online. No Classes on December 20 You may have noticed on the school year calendar that Friday, December 20, 2013 is listed as a PA/PD day. It is in fact a provincially required unpaid day for all elementary and secondary school teachers across Ontario. It is part of the contractual agreement between the Teachers’ unions, the Provincial Government and local school boards. Therefore students will not attend school on December 20th and the scheduled Christmas break will being on Monday, December 23, 2013. All support staff will be reporting for work on December 20 as normal and some may be participating in professional development activities. If you have any questions, please contact myself, Helen Brockman, at the school.