Queen Elizabeth School 80 Wilson St. E., Perth, ON K7H 1M4 Telephone: 613-267-2702 Fax: 1-855-428-1499 Principal: Ms. C. Ciocio Vice-Principal: Ms. B. Stairs SEPTEMBER 2013 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE The school staff and I would like to extend a warm welcome to all families returning to Queen Elizabeth and to the many new families who have joined our school community. We look forward to working with you to support your son/daughter at school. A great deal of hard work has gone into preparing Queen Elizabeth for our learners and staff. Thank you to Mr. Morrow and Mrs. Hall for doing a magnificent job of getting the school building ready for us. Our four new portables arrived mid-August and everyone worked like crazy to get them ready for the first day of school. As you can imagine, Mrs. Barr has been very busy in the office both last June and this past week as she completes registrations for so many new students, while looking after everything else that needs to be done for the September start-up. All of the forms, papers and lists have been typed, sorted, filed and organized for the beginning of a new year. Many thanks to Mrs. Barr for her hard work! Special thanks to Mrs. Adrain who has looked after all of the yearend budget procedures while ordering all of the supplies needed for our new school year. We look forward to seeing all of you at our Meet the Teacher Night on Thursday, September 12th from 6:30-8 p.m. The Scholastic Book Fair will be set up in the gym and open from 6 to 8 p.m. All proceeds from the book fair go directly towards purchasing books for both the library and classroom collections. Sincerely, Carmela Ciocio The Student Transportation for Eastern Ontario is committed to the safety of students. For this reason, it is very important that accurate and up-to-date information is maintained concerning Bus students who travel on the bus. STEO has also made it easier for parents to check on their children’s transportation Information by maintaining a special Busing Hotline Number: 1-866-895-8480 until September 30th, 2013. Information regarding transportation can also be located clicking on the transportation icon on the Board website, www.ucdsb.on.ca. First Time Riders program is scheduled for September 16 & 17. At this time, bus safety procedures will be reviewed with our kindergarten students. School Bus Evacuation Program ~ Sept.25 & 26 SCHOOL PHOTOS A-Day Kdg, Grades 1-6: Wed. Sept. 18 B-Day Kindergarten: Thurs. Sept. 19 MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT Grades 1-6* Thursday, September 12, 2013 Scholastic Book Fair from 6 to 8 p.m. Classroom visits from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you! *Please note that the Kindergarten Teachers will not be joining us on this evening since they held their Open Houses the week before school started. SCHOOL ORGANIZATION ~ 2013-2014 DRESS CODE REMINDERS Kindergarten, A- & B-Days ................................ Mme Sharon Neufeld As the warm weather continues, we thought it would be a good idea to remind everyone of appropriate footwear and dress for school. Please remember that in spite of sandal season, children still need to keep a sturdy pair of shoes at school for gym classes, to protect feet and to prevent slips, trips and falls. As well, please remember that the QE Dress Code calls for tank tops that have straps that measure the width of three fingers. Following this expectation consistently from grades 1 to 5 makes it easier for all of us, staff and parents, in the long run. The Dress Code is outlined in the QES Parent-Student Handbook which is found in the student agendas. Kindergarten, A-Days ........................................ Mme Mellissa Jones Kindergarten, A-Days ........................................ Mme Amy Callan Kindergarten, B-Days ........................................ Mme Kathleen McIntyre Kindergarten, B-Days ........................................ Mme Lori Wilson Grade 1 English ................................................. Mrs. Andrea Kennedy Grade 1 French Immersion ............................... Mme Nancy Villemure Grade 1/2 & 2 English ....................................... Mrs. Kathryn Farrell Grade 1/2 & 2 French Immersion ..................... Mme Jill Miller Grade 2/3, English & French ............................. Mr. Chris Mellor Grade 3 English ................................................. Ms. Nancy Thomson Grade 3 French Immersion ............................... Mme Debra White Grade 4 English ................................................. Mrs. Lyndsay Robilliard Students MUST have proper footwear for phys.ed. Grade 4 French Immersion ............................... Mme Jacinthe Beyea Grade 5 English ................................................. Mr. Sean Christy (no flip flops please). Grade 5 French Immersion ............................... Mme Kristina Falcioni Grade 6 English & French Immersion ................ Mme Melissa Shelly QES Dress Code: Kdg to Grade 6 Phys.Ed ..................................... Mme Stacey Heuff Gr.1-6 Science, Kdg Phys.Ed, Gr.1-3 Music ....... Mrs. Cara Dean Gr.4-6 Music (Day 3) ......................................... Mr. Peter Kuhn  Students must be neat and clean in their persons and habits.  Appropriate modest dress, suitable to the business of school is required at all times.  Clothing with inappropriate slogans and/or logos, are not allowed.  Appropriate footwear is required at all times. Students are expected to have an indoor pair of socks and closed, non-marking running shoes at school for gym.  Hats and hoods are to be removed inside the school. (Religious headgear excluded.)  Tank tops must have straps that measure at least the width of two fingers. Resource Teacher (a.m.)/Health & Phys.Ed. (p.m.) .. Mme Jenna Willoughby Kdg Coverages (Tuesday’s) ................................ Mme Amy Callan Educational Assistant (A-days) .......................... Mrs. Nancy Clark Educational Assistant (p.m.).............................. Mrs. Barb Somerville Learning Commons Informationist ................... Mrs. Sharron Gow Head Custodian ................................................. Mr. Trevor Morrow Evening Custodian ............................................. Mrs. Rhonda Hall Office Administrator .......................................... Mrs. Judy Barr Financial Assistant ............................................. Mrs. Vicki Adrain VP & Learning Resource Coach ......................... Ms. Beth Stairs Principal ............................................................ Ms. Carmela Ciocio QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL 2013-2014 The Queen Elizabeth School Council serves in an advisory capacity to the principal and also serves to give parents and others in the community a formal voice in how their schools operate. Parental input is critical to the ongoing success of your child’s school. Under the guidelines established by our Board, membership must reflect the following standards: A “School Councils” regulation under the Education Act, which came into effect in December 2000, requires that school council elections take place during the first 30 days of each school year. Please complete the attached ballot to nominate someone or to self-nominate yourself as a potential council member. Please return the completed nomination form to the school office by September 16.  Parents must form a majority on council.  The School principal;  One teacher;  One non-teaching educational support staff member; QE School Library  A community member. Childcare provided Page 2 First Meeting of the QE School Council Monday, September 16th from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Queen Elizabeth Newsletter, September 2013 Daily Routines… ☺ Before-school supervision is at 8:40 a.m. We respectfully request your cooperation in ensuring that your children do not arrive at school before 8:40 a.m. ☺ ☺ Entry Bell is at 8:50 a.m. Kdg Lunch is from 11:00 to 11:20 a.m. Grade 1-6 classes eat from 11:20-11:40 a.m. ☺ Morning recess is from 11:40a.m. to Noon ☺ Afternoon recess is from 2:25 to 3:05p.m. We respectfully request that parents wait until the 3:05 bell rings before entering the school yard. ☺ ☺ Medical Conditions As we begin a new school year we would like to inform you that Queen Elizabeth Elementary School is an allergen aware school. There are children in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods or items, such as peanut and nut or dairy products. Exposure to the smallest quantities can cause severe life threatening reactions. Anaphylaxis is a severe and life threatening allergic reaction. Students in the affected classes have been made aware of the necessary precautions and lunchtime accommodations are in place. It is good practice for all students to wash their hands after eating. If your child has an allergy or medical condition that could put his/her life health in jeopardy and you have not advised us, please do so immediately. If your child rides the school bus, this information will also need to be shared with the bus driver. Dismissal is at 3:10 p.m. If your child requires medication while at school, a form to All school doors will be locked during the authorize the administration of medication must be school day. Buzzers are located at both the front completed. This form can be picked up at the office. and the side parking lot doors. ☺ Should you need to notify us of any last minute changes to the plan for your child’s dismissal at the end of the day, please call the office by 2:30 p.m. so that we have enough time to get the message to your child’s teacher. ☺ Please check in with Mrs. Barr at the office if you are picking your child up early. She will contact the teacher to let him/her know that you are there to pick up your child. Please follow this procedure even during the afternoon recess. Student Information Verification Forms Student information needs to be updated each September. Student information forms will soon be sent home with all students. Please review the information that we have on file and make any changes/additions. Please sign and return the form, whether there are changes or not, to the classroom teachers. The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit continues to work with schools and school boards to keep our schools healthy. Controlling the spread of infections in schools can help reduce the spread in the community. Infections include respiratory illnesses such as influenza, which can cause fever, cough and/or sore throat, and gastrointestinal illnesses such as Norwalk, which can cause diarrhea and/or vomiting. The Health Unit encourages parents to teach children how to avoid spreading infections by:   Cleaning hands often with soap and water, or hand sanitizer Not sharing personal items or drinks. If your child is sick, please keep him or her home from school and daycare. Sick children and teens should not go to public places including sporting activities and social clubs. As with previous years, when your child is sick with influenza-like symptoms (fever and cough), please let you school’s office assistant know that they have these symptoms. Each school will report absenteeism due to influenza-like-illness to the Health Unit. This will help the Health Unit monitor the amount of illness in the community. If you have any questions or concerns regarding respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, please visit our website at www.healthunit.org or call the Health Action Line at 1-800-6605853 to speak with a Public Health Nurse. We thank you for your cooperation. September 2013 Queen Elizabeth Newsletter, Page 3 IMPORTANT NOTICE RE: STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE STUDENT ATTENDANCE Regular attendance and punctuality are important indicators of school success.. If your son/daughter is absent from class for part or all of the day, please call the office at 613-267-2702 before 8:50 a.m. We also have an answering machine for your convenience. If we do not hear from you, we will be contacting you at home or at work to ensure your child’s safety. Please ensure that we have your current phone numbers on file. DROP-OFFS, PICK-UPS & PARKING The front of the school is a designated Bus Zone everyday between 8:30 to 9 a.m. and 2:45 to 3:15 p.m. Parents may park in this area ONLY between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Parents dropping off their children or picking them up, may park on Wilson Street, Halton Street or Arthur Street. Dismissal is a very busy time and safety becomes an issue when children are darting between buses and cars. Parents and students are asked to walk along the south side of the bus loop. Please do not cross in between busses. To avoid congestion at dismissal time, parents are asked to wait outside for their children. If you need to pick your child up early, please come to the office and Mrs. Barr will make arrangements to have him/her sent down or brought in from outside. BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS! Dear Parent or Guardian: The Upper Canada District School Board does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries that occur on school premises or during school activities. Accidents can and do happen. Some injuries incur medical, dental or other expenses that are not covered by provincial health care or employer group plans. As a parent or guardian, you become responsible for these expenses. We do make available an Accident and Life Insurance Programme for students. Participation in such a programme is voluntary and the costs are to be paid by the parent or guardian. For your convenience, we have arranged a Student Accident Insurance Policy exclusively through Reliable Life Insurance Company. This programme offers a variety of plans and benefits at affordable prices. Benefits included are:  dental expenses (resulting from an accident)  paralysis/loss of use  total and permanent disability  special disability benefits  death benefits. If your child participates in co-curricular activities or activities outside the school day, there is a plan tailored to your needs. All rates are one-time annual premiums. Family rates for 3 or more children are also offered. The insurance agreement is between you and Reliable Life Insurance Company. If you wish to subscribe you can apply directly on-line at: www.insuremykids.com. Any questions should be directed to Reliable Life Insurance Company toll free at 1-800-463-KIDS (5437). Student Accident Insurance is especially valuable for today’s active children. These tips may be helpful for your child’s success! 1. Speak positively about school and your child’s ability to learn. Don’t put extra pressure on your child or make unrealistic demands. 2. Set goals and work towards them. Don’t let students get away with excuses for not meeting goals set. 3. Play down any fears your child may have about the coming year. 4. Set up a quiet and clean area for your child to study at. Ideally the area should be closed off to siblings, pets and enticing distractions. 5. Students should have a solid, flat surface to work at. 6. Develop a consistent homework routine early in the school year. Set aside a common “study time” period for studying, reading and quiet activities. 7. If there is no homework keep this as a quiet time. Encourage reading to be done. 8. Communicate with the teacher. September 2013 Queen Elizabeth Newsletter, Page 4 Queen Elizabeth School Advisory Parent Nomination/Self-Nomination I wish to nominate: _______________ for an elected position as a parent/guardian representative on the QE School Council for 2013-2014. My name is: __________________________ Signature: __________________________ I wish to declare my candidacy for an elected position as a parent/guardian representative on the QE School Council for 2011-2012. Name of Person Nominated/Self-Nominated: _________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Home phone: ______________ E-mail: Business phone: ______________ __________________________________________________ Nominated person is a parent/guardian of registered at Queen Elizabeth School. I am an employee of the board. _____________________________________ Candidate’s signature _________________________, Yes No _____________________ Date who is currently