May
2015
Gracefield Public School
117 Bayview Drive
St Catharines ON L2N 4Z7
Telephone:
905-934-1411
Fax:
905-934-1876
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
Gracefield.dsbn.org
MRS. LISA DOYLE
Principal
Greetings from the Principal!
We are finally starting to have some nice weather this Spring and before you know it, it
will be Summer. It has been such an amazing year, and there is still much excitement, as
well as work left to do in the weeks ahead.
Our spring sports are underway – badminton, track & field events, three pitch - and we
thank all of our coaches this year and parents for your great enthusiasm and support. It
has been great to have everyone working together for students’ success. This month we
will be fundraising for the Heart and Stroke Foundation with the children participating
in Jump Rope for Heart. As always, it is your choice to participate in whichever
fundraisers you choose. On April 2nd, we supported Autism Awareness Day and raised
over $150 dollars at our school which we are combining with money raised at the Bank
of Montreal to donate to Autism Niagara. The Dance-a-thon was a fantastic day and
brought in $1745 to support the purchase of extra-curricular equipment. So far this year,
we have been able to purchase new gymnastics uniforms, make repairs on the
playground equipment and purchase extra-curricular sports equipment with money we
have raised. We are currently looking at purchasing more uniforms for cross country and
track and field events. Our Toonie Tuesday lunches are still a big hit! We were able to
subsidize the grade 7/8 trip to Ottawa and we will be purchasing outdoor play items
(skipping ropes, balls, sidewalk chalk etc..) for every classroom with any remaining
money.
Governor Simcoe Secondary is inviting parents from their feeder schools to an evening
with an excellent motivational speaker, Dick O'Brien whose presenting on Raising
Resilient Children. This event is Wednesday May 6th at 6:30pm in their auditorium.
GSAC really needs your assistance with volunteers for the Fun Fair. Please sign up and
give an hour of your time so that we can continue to run this amazing event for the
children.
“Sail With Pride”
Warm regards,
Mrs. Lisa Doyle
Principal
Education Week: May 4-8 #DSBNEdWeek2015
Many students can recall that first moment in school when the world began to make sense,
when their minds became open to new concepts, ideas and
possibilities. Although that’s an important time in a student’s life, the reality is that education
is a series of moments, each one helping to build greater understanding, self-esteem and
character. During May 4-8 DSBN schools will showcase how they help students experience
those “a-ha” moments each day.
Thank you Gracefield Schooners!
We are excited that the Spring Book Fair brought in $2176.50. Unfortunately it was not quite
enough to see Mrs. Doyle pucker up and kiss a pig. We are so very thankful for the excitement
and interest in reading! Thank you, as always, for your generous support! We have been able to
replenish our library with $1000.00 worth of new books!
Mrs. Fast and Mrs. Jefferys!
SCORECARD HARRY’S NIGHT
Gracefield Community Night, held at Scorecard Harry’s continues on the first Tuesday of every month. Staff, students and their
family and friends are invited to celebrate our school spirit and community partnerships with dinner/appetizers at Scorecard Harry’s.
A portion of sales will be donated back to the school. I look forward to seeing you there. The first Tuesday of May is Tuesday, May
5. The first Tuesday of June will be Tuesday, June 2. Mark it on your calendars!
Gracefield School
Advisory Council
GSAC
News
SAVE THE DATE: Our Fun Fair will take place on Friday, June 5th, from 5-8pm. Come
for dinner and stay to play! Details about the night and ticket information will be sent home
shortly. Please fill out the note we sent home if you would be willing to volunteer your time
to help run the festivities! We need many volunteers to run this event.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 – 6:30 p.m. in the School Library
DSBN Road Race
Thank you to all that joined the Gracefield team on Sunday, April
26th to participate in the DSBN Road Race. What a great turn out!
Running club continues until June.
Mrs. Fast
ECO CLUB NEWS
•
Lemons make great air fresheners: Mix equal parts water and lemon juice in a
spray bottle and spray away.
• Winter's coming: Don't crank up the thermostat. Instead wear a 100% wool
sweater to conserve your body's own heat energy. Cotton for fall, wool for winter.
• Check out the “eFlyers” on the Board website on a regular basis. There are
many community events and activities announced through this system.
•
Log onto our website: www.dsbn.org
•
Click on "Community" tab
•
Click on "eFlyer Service"
Thank you for your support of our eflyers in this way. Going green is what it is all
about.
Earth Day!
Wow - what a day we had on April 22, 2015.
We had a visit from St. Catharine City Mayor
Sendzik, we shoveled dirt into four gardens
for the ELKP class, we cleaned up Cambria
Park, we collected trash and recycled
materials form the Green Ribbon Trail as part
of the Great Shoreline Cleanup and we
participated in the Yellow Fish Road
Program. We have such an amazing group
of Environmental Stewards at Gracefield.
Every single students and teacher was
involved in making every day Earth Day!
Thanks so much!
SPORTS REPORT
Junior Boys’ Basketball
Coach: Mr. White
Congratulations to the Junior Boys Basketball team for an amazing season. The boys rolled through the competition
during the regular season and finished with an undefeated record. The boys continued their winning ways throughout the
playoffs and captured the League Championship in a close game against Maywood, and qualified for the DSBN
Championship Tournament by beating Lincoln Centennial
During the tournament, the boys won all of their games, including an thrilling overtime game against Nelles after trailing
late in the game. The boys then advanced to the semi-finals where they blew out Quaker Road School to advance to
Champions Night's next Tuesday.
Mr. White would like to congratulate the boys for their hard-work, great play, and fantastic sportsmanship throughout the
season. They truly made Gracefield proud! Good luck in the Championship!
Team Members:
Dylan R.
Jack N.
Jacob R.
Practice Squad:
Aidan L.
Reza C.
Seth W.
Connor E.
Trey S.
Rhys W.
Logan K.
Maddox H.
Cole P.
Huziafa S.
Kai S.
Gymnastics
Coach: Mrs. Morris
Congratulations to the Gracefield Gymnastics team. Our 14 girls were amongst 350 gymnasts who competed in floor,
bench, and mat events. Our results are as follows:
In the grade 4 intermediate division
Roxy L. was was awarded 4th in floor and 3rd in bench.
Georgina F. achieved 3rd in floor and 2nd in bench.
Akira G. achieved 2nd in floor and 4th in mat.
In the grade 5/6 junior division
Kaili W. impressed with a 2nd in mat, 3rd in floor and 6th in bench.
Ally M. wowed the judges with her 1st place floor routine.
In the grade 5/6 intermediate division
Olivia M. and Madalyn W. tied for 5th place on the mat.
Olivia was also awarded 4th place for her floor routine.
Our lone club competitor, Cadence S. brought home a 1st in bench and a 2nd in floor.
Together with Avery A. and Bronwen L.’s 1st and 6th place floor routine, our little team certainly performed with
excellence.
We would also like to commend the youngest members of our team. Our grade 3 competitors learned many new skills
over the past 6 weeks and performed very well at the meet. We are proud of all of our girls accomplishments.
GRADES 3 & 6 EDUCATION QUALITY &
ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (EQAO) TESTING
Please mark your calendars. All of our Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will be writing their Provincial EQAO tests between May 25 and
June 5 this year. We ask that you do not schedule an appointments during these days as all students in those grades are required to
write.
As a parent or guardian, you care about your child’s progress in school. EQAO assessments, along with
classroom assessment, can help ensure that your child is on the right track. There are a number of links
on the EQAO website (www.EQAO.com) to learn more about your child’s EQAO assessment.
The primary -division (Grade 3) assessment tests the reading, writing and mathematics skills students
are expected to have learned by the end of Grade 3. The junior -division (Grade 6) assessment test s the
reading, writing and mathematics skills students are expected to have learned by the end of Grade 6.
Both assessments are based on The Ontario Curriculum .
The website provides sample assessment questions that you could use to see how the students are
assessed, as well as other valuable information for families.
Summer HEAT 2015
Summer HEAT 2015
We are pleased to offer SUMMER HEAT, a primary Summer Learning Program, again this year. The
program will run from Monday, July 13th to Friday, July 31st for students entering JK to grade 4 in
the fall of 2015. Kindergarten Kick Start is for students entering junior and senior kindergarten in
the fall, while Funshine Kids is for students entering grades 1, 2, 3 and 4. This three week program is entirely FREE, but
space is limited so please be sure to register early. Registration can be done online starting Friday, May 1st. The program
will begin at 8:15 a.m. with breakfast provided, and it will end at 12:15 p.m. Students will be involved in a variety of
learning opportunities throughout the morning, with a focus on literacy, numeracy and active living. We are excited
about being able to offer this amazing program to our families. Check it out on the DSBN website at
www.dsbn.org/summerheat
Summer HEAT will be offered at the following sites:
St. Catharines - Edith Cavell (literacy and mathematics site), Connaught (literacy and
mathematics site),
Lincoln Centennial (literacy and mathematics site), Grapeview (Aboriginal site with literacy)
Welland - Diamond Trial (literacy and mathematics site)
Niagara Falls - Simcoe Street (literacy and mathematics site), Valley Way (Aboriginal site with
literacy)
Port Colborne - De Witt Carter (literacy and mathematics site)
Fort Erie Area - Crystal Beach (literacy and mathematics site), Peace Bridge (Aboriginal site with literacy)
NEW sites:
Beamsville - Senator Gibson (literacy and mathematics site)
Welland - Princess Elizabeth (Aboriginal site with literacy)
Planning Today to Energize Education for Tomorrow
DSBN Trustees are supporting student success by revitalizing our public schools. An
important part of this process is the role of Accommodation Reviews.
On March 26, 2015 the Ministry of Education released revised Pupil Accommodation
Review Guidelines (PARG) and the DSBN has revised the Accommodation Review Policy
to align with the new Ministry Guidelines.
You are invited to provide your comments on this new policy. From May 6 to June 3, 2015
please go to www.dsbn.org and click on the “Accommodation Review Policy Feedback” button. You may also
provide comments via mail. Please send to Lora Courtois, Superintendent of Planning, District
School Board of Niagara, 191 Carlton St. St. Catharines, ON, L2R 7P4.
You're In It!
Again this year the Gracefield Yearbook will be built using Picaboo
Yearbooks. We are in our last year of the contract with Picaboo and
will be sourcing Canadian options for next year. In the meantime,
parents can pre-order and begin building the personal pages if they
wish by visiting the yearbook online store at http://gracefield.picaboo.com/ This online store
opens on May 5th and closes on June 2. Please be aware that Picaboo is a US company and
online order will be charged in US funds. We will also be sending home an order form for those
who don't wish to complete the online order.
Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Doyle
Deposit the cardboard wrapper from your
Schneider’s Lunch Mates
in the box in the office. We can redeem them for great
prizes for our school!
SCHOOL WATCH PROGRAM
In an effort to try and reduce vandalism, graffiti and after-hours unauthorized activities on our property, we would like to
encourage your participation in the on-going DSBN SCHOOL WATCH PROGRAM.
Should you observe unusual activity at the school, please call the emergency number 905-682-8065, in confidence, 24-7. In
the alternative, Niagara Regional Police may also be called at 905-688-4111 (enter 1, then 1 again for St Catharines).
The cost of vandalism can add up, so there is a direct benefit in reducing vandalism. Thank you for your assistance.
S S!
Support Our School!
How can you help? It’s easy!
Please think of our school when those magazine renewal notices start to arrive in the mail and
Save Our Subscriptions!
Save your renewals for our QSP magazine subscription fundraiser this fall.
You will be helping to raise money for programs and activities to benefit all our students.
Remember - Magazines make great gifts.
Kids love to get their own subscriptions in the mail! It’s the gift that keeps giving year round!
HELP US PROMOTE LITERACY!
Let your friends and family know about our upcoming fundraiser and ask them to save their subscriptions too.
The success of this fundraiser depends on your participation. So, please do what you can to help our school!
Renewal orders will simply extend current subscriptions, unless the renewal(s) has expired.
We will also have a new program that will run together with the magazine campaign this fall. While “Saving Your Subscriptions”,
you can also “Save Your Memories”! We will have a line of personalized photo products to order – photo books, calendars, cards,
etc. Look for more information in the Fall!
Thank you in advance for your support!
‘Keep your head in the game’ this summer with
LEARNING ADVANTAGE Workbooks
Gracefield will be making available a summer activity workbook called "Learning
Advantage" later in the month of May. "Learning Advantage" is a fully coloured 192 page,
activity book designed to reinforce and maintain Kindergarten to Grade 7 students'
academic learning skills over the summer months. There is one 192 paged activity book per
grade level from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 7. All major units and 3 summer fun units
in each book are aligned with the Ontario curriculum expectations. In addition to the
summer months, the books can be used all year long from September to the following June.
All books have parent information pages, evaluation forms; follow up activities and a family
focus.
A full lineup of French immersion books is also available. The cost of each book is
$19.05 plus GST ($20 total).This is a savings of about $4 compared retail and
online prices. You can visit www.learningadvantage.ca to download a free unit of
the book you would like to order for further review.
An order form and information sheet with more details about the “Learning Advantage"
program will be sent home to all parents within the next few weeks. Please direct questions
to Mary-Jo Montalban [email protected]
Please note: the order form does not state a due date for orders - Orders are due back to
the school June 6th. The books ordered will be delivered to the school before the last week
of school.
May’s Healthy Tip:
GET MORE SLEEP
You know, eating right can be as simple as eating an apple a day. But there is something else that affects your eating habits and it has nothing to do with food. It’s SLEEP!
Lack of sleep can make you crave certain foods, like carbohydrates. Why? Because your body is looking for the energy you
should have gotten from sleeping enough.
How much sleep is enough? It depends. Experts say at least 9 hours and this can be challenging now that spring is here and the
days are longer.
Kids who sleep enough get better grades, don’t get sick as often, are less cranky and more likely to eat right.
I am sure this is good advice for all us parents too
.
From your Local Lunch Lady
Prevent cyberbullying before it starts
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To stay safe with technology, teach your kids to:
Refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages.
Tell their friends to stop cyberbullying.
Block communication with cyberbullies; delete messages without reading them.
Never post or share their personal information online (including full name, address, telephone
number, school name, parents’ names, credit card number, or Social Security number) or their
friends’ personal information.
Never share their Internet passwords with anyone, except you.
Talk to you about their life online.
Not put anything online that they wouldn't want their classmates to see, even in email.
Not send messages when they’re angry or upset.
Always be as polite online as they are in person.
Source: National Crime Prevention Council
Monitor your child's technology use
Regardless of how much your child resents it, you can only protect him or her by monitoring what
they do online.
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Keep the computer in a busy area of your house so you can easily monitor its use, rather than
allowing your child use a laptop or tablet in his or her bedroom, for example.
Limit data access to your child's smart phone if he or she uses it to surf the web. Some
wireless providers allow you to turn off text messaging services during certain hours.
Set up filters on your child's computer. Tracking software can block inappropriate web content
and help you check up on your child's online activities.
Insist on knowing your child's passwords and learn the common acronyms kids use online and
in text messages.
Know who your child communicates with online. Go over your child's address book and instant
messenger "buddy list" with them. Ask who each person is and how your child knows them.
Encourage your child to tell you or another trusted adult if they receive threatening messages
or are otherwise targeted by cyberbullies, while reassuring them that doing so will not result in
their loss of computer or cell phone privileges.
No matter how much pain it causes, kids are often reluctant to tell parents or teachers about
cyberbullying because they fear that doing so may result in losing their computer or cell phone
privileges. While parents should always monitor a child's use of technology, it's important not
to threaten to withdraw access or otherwise punish a child who's been the victim of
cyberbullying.
Source: www.helpguide.org
Communication Matters
Smart Talk from your Board Speech-Language Pathologists
Develop Word Meanings to Improve Your Child’s Comprehension Skills
Understanding word meanings is essential for comprehending and understanding what you are reading. However, vocabulary is a
weak area for many students. Given a list of words to learn, many students will complete the task but may not actually learn what
the words really mean in order to develop their spoken language and vocabulary knowledge. Developing vocabulary as part of
knowledge structure requires more energy and focus than simply memorizing words.
Develop vocabulary by going beyond the ‘label’ and the ‘spelling’.
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Teach word synonyms (words that mean the same thing e.g. night, evening, dusk), antonyms or opposites (night and day), and
multiple meaning words (e.g. block; a lego block, a city block, a building block). Also teach categories, classifications and
associations between words (e.g. a shoe and sock go together -are associated; and belong in the clothing category as ‘things you
wear).
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Illustrate new words. Show pictures or video clips that demonstrate the meaning of a word. Help your child draw and label
something illustrating the meaning of the word. "Flashcards" can be made more meaningful with pictures, as well.
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Play "vocabulary charades." Have your child draw a word from a hat and act it out.
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Play “find the word used in the real world”. Help your child identify when he hears or sees a new vocabulary word
being used in the real world - beyond the learning activities designed for school.
Check out the following web site for more ideas and fun ways to develop word meanings: www.enchantedlearning.com
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MAY NEWSLETTER DRAW
Please fill out the ballot below and your name(s) will be entered in a draw for a special treat.
What grades are involved in EQAO testing? ________________________________________________________________________
Name(s):___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Class(es):___________________________________________________________________________________________________