Grapeview Gazette
APRIL 1, 2015
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6
Grapeview Public School,
106 1st St. Louth, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 6P9
www.dsbn.edu.on.ca/schools/grapeview
905- 984- 5517
Mark Your
Calendar

Spring Photos, April 2

World Autism day,
April 2

Good Friday,
April 3rd

Easter Monday, April 6th

Read Roof
Trip Communication
Classes—
April 9th and
23rd

Pita Day,
April 16

Road Race at
Board Office,
April 26

Grade 7, 8
Vaccinations
April 29
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
OF NIAGARA
Shelley Fehrman – Principal
Christine Gadsby – Vice Principal
Teaching Mathematics to the 21st Century Learner
Number talks are a strategy that is used in several mathematics classrooms today. Sherry D.
Parish (2011) in her article Number Talks Build Numerical Reasoning states that “many classrooms now a days are still filled with students who view math as a collection of rules and procedures to memorize instead of a system of relationships to investigate and understand. Math instruction has moved beyond rote procedural knowledge and you may have noticed this shift in
instructional strategies with your child. Teachers are shifting their practice to foster sense making
in mathematics and ensuring that instruction embraces conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning. “Classroom number talks are 5 to 15 minutes and are conversations around purposefully crafted computation problems that are solved mentally (Parish, 2011).” During number talks students communicate their thinking and justify their answer to a given problem.
Sherry D. Parish (2011) defines accurate, efficient, and flexible strategies as the following;
“Accuracy denotes the ability to produce an accurate answer; efficiency denotes the ability to
choose and appropriate, expedient strategy for a specific computation problem; and flexibility
refers to the ability to use number relationships with ease in computation (Russell 2000 as found
in Parish, 2011)”
Take the problem 39 x 5. A student exhibits these characteristics if she can use the relationship
between 39 and 40 to think about the problem 40 x 5 and then subtract one group of 5 to arrive at
the answer 195.
As educators we are trying to develop students with a Growth Mindset as talked about by
Carol Dweck. We are trying to get students to move away from the fixed mindset that either
they are smart or dumb. In a growth mindset students believe that their ability to do something is due to hard work. Providing questions that encourage a growth mindset gives the students the space to learn. Jo Boaler in her video "Growth Mindsets" (January 14, 2014) states in
one of her videos that we need to ask open questions to develop a growth mindset in
math. By providing these types of questions students will demonstrate their mastery in the
fundamental skills of math by being able to interpret the problem and develop meaning out of
what is asked to come up with a solution. However in the article by Brian Cambourne it stated
that immersion was not enough, the students must also be engaged in the math.
Jo Boaler states that in order to change this mindset we must celebrate mistakes. She states
that “when you make a mistake in math, synapses fire more rapidly and more often than at
any other time.” So making mistakes is good for kids as students will learn more when they
are making mistakes. She states that “your brain grows more when you make mistakes than
at any other time.
For more information Check out the Following Resources At :
Curriculum Sevices Canada: "Growth Mindsets" by Jo Boaler. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.org/k-12/en/
videos/growth-mindsets.
“Number Talks Build Numerical Reasoning” by Sherry D. Paris from http://www.mathsolutions.com/documents/
NumberTalks_SParrish.pdf
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Grapeview Gazette
Dreambox
DreamBox is…

K-8 math environment that uses Intelligent Adaptive Learning that allows for students to think critically, understand math concepts and develop computational fluency;

Student driven with millions of learning pathways in real time, differentiating content, pace and sequence;

Highly motivating environment fueling persistence, progress and proficiency;

Learning consistent with Cathy Fosnot developed kits, Landscapes for Learning
Currently all our students in K-6 have access to Dreambox. We encourage our students to go onto Dreambox at
home, as well as, at school. Please continue to encourage your son/daughter to use Dream Box (K-6 math program that every school in the DSBN purchased for their students). It is an excellent program to help improve
student success in math. Dream Box is to be completed by students themselves with no parent help.
All Visitors Please Report to the Office
A reminder to all of our parents and visitors to the school that they must check in at the office upon arrival. At entrance and dismissal times the hallways become very congested with
our students and we need to keep visitors out of the hallways to facilitate the smooth transition of our students.
During instructional time, teachers are usually not available to meet with parents. If you
need to meet with your child’s teacher please contact the teacher or office and arrangements can be made for a mutually agreeable time.
If you are dropping off something for your child please drop it off at the office and we will get
the item to your child. If you are picking up your child after school we ask that you meet your
child as they exit their respective doors.
Please help us make Grapeview Public School a safe place to learn.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of Grade 3 and
6 Students
Please mark your calendars for May 25– May 29 and June 1 - 5 for testing days for
EQAO. You can support the school by ensuring that the students are at school each day, on
time and well rested. Booking doctor or dental appointments should be avoided for these days
please. Students will be writing Language and Math assessments for that week and all teachers have scheduled rotary time around these testing expectations. If you have any questions,
please speak to your child’s teacher or call the office. Thank you!
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Grapeview Gazette
Pa
Parking Lot
Please be advised that parking enforcement has been paying us daily visits. Please ensure you do not park and leave your vehicle in the fire lane
or bus lane zone. We have had several people who have received a ticket
over the past month. We thank you for your cooperation in leaving our bus
lanes/ fire lanes free.
Let’s Celebrate Autism Awareness
During the week of March 30th the Communication classes will be hosting
special Autism awareness activities. Be sure to check out the exciting display in the front foyer to learn a little more about Autism and to also see the
awesome things our students are doing! You will have the chance to purchase a funky Autism Awareness bracelet for $2.00 throughout the week as
well as cake raffle tickets and bake sale items on April 2nd. A huge heartfelt
thank you goes out to the amazing students, staff and members of the
Grapeview community for supporting our students every day. It’s truly
amazing to see!
Lates
Our Entrance Bell rings at 8:55 AM and announcements begin at 9:05 AM.
When students are late for school, it creates a number of issues for the student and the school. Late students
must check in at the office and get an Admit slip to get into class. This can create a large amount of work for the
office, creating the admit slips and updating the attendance for each late student.
Late students often miss the morning announcements and the teachers’ start of the day instructions. Many classes
start the day with a Literacy or Numeracy class which late students may miss. Late students also create disruptions
in the class as teachers have to re-teach lessons for students arriving late.
Administration will be working hard to address tardiness.
Please work with us to ensure that your child (ran) get the best education possible.
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Grapeview Gazette
Jr. Boys and Girls Basketball
Team Members of the Boys Basketball Team
Are: Dylan, Derek, Isaac, Austin, Mohamed,
Evan, Josh, Lebron, Jayden, Dawson, Conner,
Jack, and Bennett
Jr. Boys and Girls Basketball has recently gotten underway, and the
Grapeview Gryphons have shown
impressive skill and determination in
their first two games of the season.
The girls played to win in their second game this season, and the
boys are currently undefeated. Our
junior students have represented
Grapeview well both at home and
away. Keep up the great work,
Gryphons! Thank-you to our coaches Mrs. Visser, Mrs. Camilleri, Mrs.
Riel and Mr. Durlov.
Team Members of the Girls Basketball Team
Are: Brooklyn, Elyce, Sadie, Samantha, Haley,
Mawil, Katelyn, Kyra, Shahd, Omaima, Marwa
and Nicole
Our next bake sale is scheduled for April 24th. Parents from Grade 2
are encouraged to bring in nut-free baked goods which will be sold
by parent volunteers and student helpers at the first break with all the
proceeds going towards their class to help offset the costs of trips and
class activities. Items are sold for either .50 cents or a Loonie. Reminders are sent home with
the children before the Monday of the bake sale. Parent volunteers are always needed. If you
are able to assist us, please reply to the reminder notice that is sent home. Thanks for your
support!
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Grapeview Gazette
Did you Know: Baby Teeth are Very Important!
Tooth decay is the number one chronic disease of children. Tooth decay can lead to pain, infection, difficulties eating, speech problems, self-esteem issues, decrease school attendance and poor overall health.
Niagara Region Public Health (NRPH) screens approximately 25,000 students each year in elementary schools
38% of these students have tooth decay, which is unacceptably high.
Baby teeth are important! Early preventive care is critical in reducing the likelihood of your child developing painful
and serious health problems later in life.
Fluoride is not added into our water supply. Therefore, it is recommended that all residents brush their teeth
twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste as soon as the first baby tooth erupts (birth to three years – rice grain
size portion, three years and older – pea-size portion of fluoride toothpaste)
Floss your child’s teeth daily until age eight
Ensure your child eats a healthy diet and limits sugary drinks and snacks (ex. fruit roll-ups, gummies and juice
boxes)
Children should visit a dentist every year starting at their first birthday to prevent problems from starting.
Fluoride varnish and sealant applications are very effective in preventing tooth decay
NRPH has free programs and preventive services to assist children and youth in getting the dental health care they
need. For more information please call the Dental Line at 905-688-8248 or 888-505-6074, ext. 7399.
Dance-A-Thon
We would like to extend a huge thank-you to parent council for hosting this years dance-a-thon.
A big thank-you goes out to Mrs. Digweed and Mrs. Delvecchio for organizing and running the
event. Many thanks to all of the parents who volunteered throughout the day. Thank-you to
Mrs. Mowat for paving the path for us and to Mrs. Chcoski for helping us to count all the money.
We will have an update of how much was raised in next month’s newsletter.
DSBN Road Race
Come and celebrate the 12th Anniversary of the DSBN Road Race, sponsored by Meridian
Credit Union! Happening Sunday, April 26th, 2015 at the DSBN Education Centre in St. Catharines.
1k Fun Run and 5k Road Race for everyone!
Price is still only $10 for students under 20 and $20 for adults 20+
The day includes:
Barbecue for participants
Prizes for top finishers in each 5km age category
Fun Fair with Niagara Inflatables
Chip Time Results for 5km race