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P. Smith
Principal
May
2015
Principal’s Message
Now that the warm weather is here and the grass is growing on the field, students are out at recess and enjoying a variety of activities. A big thanks to the
CATCH team for organizing some fun events. Many primary students today
had tons of fun blowing and chasing bubbles.
We have a new club at Guthrie, ‘Girls With Grit’. Girls in grades K-8 can participate in this club inspiring girls of all ages to become strong, confident, and
emotionally and physically fit while having fun.
EQAO Provincial Testing
Coming up between May 25th-June 5th, students in grades 3 and 6 will have
the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and achievement by participating
in the EQAO assessment. The assessment is comprised of two sections:
Mathematics and Language. During this assessment it is very important that
students are well rested and are not absent from school. Please avoid scheduling appointments during this time. Thank You.
Ms. Smith
AIRBANDS!
By Mac and Sydney B
The Intermediate students of Guthrie PS will be holding their
first annual “Airbands” show. This fun night will be held on
May 28th. Doors will open at 7:00pm and the show will commence at 7:30 and end at 9:00. Tickets will be sold for $4.00
each and there will be a variety of refreshments and assorted
treats for sale, all proceeds will be donated to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. If you’d like to support this cause
even further, a 5km run will be taking place at Centennial
Park on June 14th. For more info on this event and to donate
to Ms. Bagley’s class run in support of diabetes, go to:
http://jdrfca.donordrive.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=cms.page&id=1350
The show will be a blast from the past, as all of the dances
will be revolved around the 80s and 90s period. We hope to
see you there, dawg!
A Gentle Reminder…
While there are situations where an interruption to instructional time is unavoidable, parents and students are reminded class time begins at 9:10 am sharp and instructional time
continues until dismissal at 3:40 pm. Late arrival and early
dismissal interrupts both your child’s instructional time and
that of their entire class. We ask that you interrupt instructional time only when absolutely necessary. If after-school
programs require a student to be picked up, please respect
instructional time and arrange for your student to meet you
in the office AFTER dismissal at 3:40 pm.
This is especially important for students in Grades 3 and 6 as
they prepare for EQAO.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Guthrie Gazette, May 2015
May 1
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May 4
May 4-8
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May 11
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May 14
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May 18
May 19
D. Bradley
Vice-Principal
Up-Coming Dates
Yearbook orders due
Grade 3 to Simcoe County Museum
Parent Council, 7pm, Library
Mental Health Week
Education Week
Guthrie Spring Garden Show
County Slam Poetry at Minesing
Grade 8s to Georgian
Spirit Horse at Orchard Park
Victoria Day! (No School)
Track & Field at Oro Fairgrounds
(rain date: May 21)
May 20-22 Book Fair in the Library (9am-4pm)
May 24
June Lunch Orders due
May 25-June 5 EQAO Grades 3&6: please do not
schedule appointments or holidays
during this time.
May 27
Welcome to Kindergarten 4:30-6pm
May 28
Air Band Competition (Gr.7&8)7-9pm
June 1
June 2-4
June 3-5
June 5
June 9
June 10
June 18
June 23
June 25
Parent Council, 7pm, Library
Grade 8 Grad Trip
Grade 7 Trip
PA Day—students do not attend school
Jump Rope for Heart, Grades K-6
Track & Field Zone Meet at Eastview
(rain date: June 12)
Teacher Appreciation & Volunteer Lunch
Grade 8 Graduation
Last Day of School for Students!
H ELPFUL I NFORMATION
Bell and Break Times:
8:55—9:00am
Buses Arrive
9:10 am
Entry Bell
9:10-10:50 am
Instructional time
10:50 am
1st Nutrition Break
11:10—11:30am 1st Outdoor Play
11:30-1:10pm
Instructional Time
1:10 pm
2nd Nutrition Break
1:30—2:00 pm
2nd Outdoor Play
2:00-3:40pm
Instructional Time
3:40 pm
Dismissal
3:45—3:50 pm
Buses Leave
Safe Arrival Number: 705-487-2532, Press 1. Please
call Safe Arrival each time your child is late or absent.
Bus Cancelations: CENTRAL Zone.
Visit our NEW WEBSITE: GUT.SCDSB.ON.CA
Follow us on Twitter: @GuthriePublic
R EGISTER NOW FOR
S UMMER S CHOOL
Registration is now open for the Simcoe
County District School Board’s 2015 summer school courses. This year, the eLearning summer options
have been expanded to include Grade 10 Civics and Careers,
Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Chemistry and Families in Canada. Also offered is the opportunity for students to travel and
earn credits with the summer EduTravel program or to experience camp at the YMCA's Geneva Park location while earning leadership credits. Summer school program details and
locations can be found at The Learning Centres website:
www.thelearningcentres.com. Online registration for current
SCDSB students is available through the student portal.
Junior Intramurals
‘Indoor Soccer’
The Junior Intramurals got off to a cracking start
with 12 teams and over 60 students. During the soccer games,
some of the students had a hard time remembering not to
use their hands!
There are some interesting team names this term, such as;
The Excels, The Whipper Snippers, The Iguanas, and The Hot
Shots. Each of the 12 teams will eventually play each other
during the next few weeks. So far there has been some great
goals scored by Blake B., Noah S., Cole H., Ty S., and Tobin B.
There were some amazing saves by Foxton L., and Christian R.
Can’t wait until next week!
Mr. O’Shea & Mrs. K. Baker
PARENT WORKSHOPS OFFERED BY
YOUTH HAVEN BARRIE
Tuesday evenings at Barrie Central Collegiate
Free workshops for parents will be offered at Barrie Central
Collegiate (125 Dunlop St. W.) on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m.,
starting on April 28. Parents of youth aged 14-24 are welcome to attend these evening sessions offered by Youth Haven Barrie. The sessions will include topics such as: communicating with youth, managing stress, positive relationship
building and substance abuse. For more information, call
Youth Haven Barrie at 705-817-1148 or email
[email protected].
Education Week:
Celebrating Public Education!
Education Week, May 4 to 8, is a province-wide celebration of
student achievement and excellence in education. It is an opportunity to recognize the work and accomplishments of
Ontario’s publicly funded schools.
Guthrie Gazette, May 2015
Our community is one of 180 communities across the province which has been selected for the 2014 Ontario Child
Health Study. The study was initiated in 2014 and will continue throughout 2015. Participating in this study, if asked
to do so, is an important opportunity to help children and
youth in Ontario.
The 2014 Ontario Child Health Study is the largest and
most comprehensive study on child and youth mental
health that has ever been done in Ontario. The study is
being conducted by Statistics Canada, in partnership with
McMaster University. Statistics Canada has invited over
13,500 families across 180 communities, including ours,
with children and youth aged 4-17 years to participate in
the study. The information gathered from will provide a
more complete overview of our children and youth than
ever before.
The Ontario Child Health Study was originally conducted in
1983 and found that 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario
have a mental health issue. The findings from that study
contributed to over $1 billion in federal and provincial
funding towards child and youth mental health initiatives.
A lot has changed since 1983 – you can help update these
findings. Please do your part to represent our community
and say yes if invited by Statistics Canada to participate.
Children’s Mental Health Week
Children’s Mental Health Week is May 3 to 9. One in five
Ontario children and youth struggle with mental health
concerns - that's about 500,000 kids. Children's Mental
Health Week is about promoting positive mental health,
increasing the awareness of signs related to children and
youth struggling with mental health problems, decreasing
stigma and understanding how to access community supports that are available to improve well-being. For more
information, visit www.kidsmentalhealth.ca.
Proposed 2015-2016 School Year Calendar
On the SCDSB website (www.scdsb.on.ca) under ‘Schools’
– ‘School Year Calendars’, you will find the proposed 201516 School Year Calendars, pending Ministry approval.
These calendars were approved by the Board in February
for submission to the Ministry of Education. They are
awaiting final approval by the Ministry of Education, which
usually occurs in early May. The finalized calendars will be
posted on the webpage above once they are approved.
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Circle of Learning Parent Academy
Free workshop May 13 on Resilience
As a parent/guardian, you were your child’s first teacher and
you are still his or her most important teacher. Your involvement in your child’s education has an impact on success. The
final Circle of Learning Parent Academy event for this school
year:
Resilience: Nine Things Kids Need from their
Families, Schools and Communities
May 13, 2015, 4 pm at Nottawasaga Pines S.S.
and
May 13, 2015, 7:30 pm at Eastview S.S.
Register on line at:
https://www.scdsb.on.ca/Parents/Pages/Circle-ofLearning.aspx
To learn more about Dr. Ungar, please visit:
http://www.michaelungar.com/
Jump Rope for
Heart
We are so excited to be fundraising
for the Heart and Stroke Foundation
again this year through our annual "Jump Rope for Heart"
event. Our kickoff assembly on May 1st brings East Oro's
skipping team to our school to launch this fantastic event!
Our school community is one of the highest fundraisers in
all of Simcoe County, you are all so committed to this
cause and we are truly making a difference. Further information and Jump Rope envelopes will be going home with
students in grades K-6 in the near future. Thanks so much
Guthrie for your strong support!
TRACK & FIELD
On Tuesday May 19th, students in grades 4
to 8 will be participating in Guthrie’s Track &
Field day at the Oro Fairgrounds. Students
will be bused to the Fairgrounds in the
morning, returning for bus time at 3:40. A
snack bar will be available (pizza , water, pop, chips for $1
each, granola bars 50¢ each). The cost for the day is $2 per
student to help cover the cost of busing.
Please keep an eye out for permission forms containing
more information, which will be sent home with students
in grades 4 to 8 in the near future.
Parents, if you are available to volunteer to help at Track &
Field (and you have a record check on file) please contact
the office 705-487-2532. Thank you!
HELP PREPARE
YOUR CHILD FOR
Stu Saunders (left), YLCC owner and Producer of SOAR, with Juno-nominated singer-songwriter
Peter Katz (right).
SOAR
By Shayla F. and Avery C.
On Wednesday April 29th, the grade 8 students here at Guthrie Public School were given the opportunity to attend the
first showing of the film, “SOAR” to a student audience at the
Orillia Galaxy Cinema. SOAR is an acronym for Students that
are Optimistic, Aware and Ready. It was a documentary that
displayed different viewpoints on people’s journeys throughout high school. It explained that the transition to high school
does not have to be as nerve wracking as people make it out
to be. Overall, the film had a great message and the grade
eights enjoyed their experience very much. It will definitely
help grade 8s across Canada create a peaceful transition into
their high school career. We even made it into the Orillia
Packet and Times!
Guthrie Gazette, May 2015
THE
EQAO TEST
Students in elementary and secondary schools across Ontario write provincial assessments in reading, writing and
mathematics each year. The assessments are developed
and scored by the Education Quality and Accountability
Office (EQAO). Each student that completes a provincial
assessment receives an Individual Student Report (ISR)
which describes the student's achievement. School and
board achievement data is used to improve teaching practices and to support student learning.
This year’s EQAO testing for Grade 3 and 6 students takes
place from May 25 to June 5. Further information about
the provincial assessments, including resources to help
prepare your child for the test, can be found at
www.eqao.com.
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Message from your local Health Unit:
ONTARIO EARLY YEARS CENTRE
Prevent the bite from mosquitoes and ticks
Orillia
80 Colbourne St. W.
Phone 705 325-1299
[email protected]
West Nile virus is spread to humans by the bite of an infected
mosquito. Lyme disease is an infection caused by a bacteria
spread by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. It’s important you and your family take precautions to reduce the
chances of being bitten by a mosquito or a tick. Steps to protect yourself include:
 Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt.
 Wear closed footwear and socks. Tuck your pants into
your socks.
 If hiking or spending time outdoors, check for ticks on
exposed areas of your skin or clothing.
 Use a personal insect repellent that has deet (following
the manufacturer's directions for use). Apply it to your skin
and outer clothing. Avoid your eyes and mouth, as well as
cuts and scrapes.
Put a tick and flea collar on your pet and check them for ticks
periodically.
When choosing a repellent, consider a product that meets
your needs, and only use personal repellents that are registered in Canada. Never use a product labeled as an insecticide on your body. For more information about West Nile
virus or Lyme disease, visit the Simcoe Muskoka District
Health Unit’s website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or
call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.
Presentation: Working Together
To Make Our Kids Successful
Dr. Bruce Ferguson will focus on how the community, school
and family can work together to support children as they develop and grow into healthy citizens at this free event for all
parents on May 7. Dr. Ferguson is a Senior Consultant and the
founding Director of the Community Health Systems Resource Group at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
This event is free to all parents in Simcoe County. It takes
place May 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Liberty North in Barrie
(100 Caplan Ave.). Simultaneous language interpretation services will be available for those who request it. Registration is
available at: www.smcdsb.on.ca/families/parent_workshop.
GRAMS
TRIPLE P PARENTING PRO-
THE POWER OF POSITIVE PARENTING
Tuesday, June 9th, 6:00-8:00 pm.
A workshop for parents to learn how to help children develop skills and feel good about themselves.
CONFIDENT COMPETENT CHILDREN
Tuesday, June 16th, 6:00-8:00 pm.
A workshop to help parents learn how to apply positive
parenting principles to create a foundation of success at
school and in life.
RAISING RESILIENT CHILDREN
Tuesday, June 23rd, 6:00-8:00 pm.
A workshop to help parents learn how to help children to
E YE S EE ...E YE L EARN OFFERS EYE EXAMS & FREE GLASSES TO JK STUDENTS
The Eye See…Eye Learn program provides comprehensive
eye exams by local optometrists to Junior Kindergarten (JK)
students. The eye exams are covered under the Ontario
Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) when parents show their
child’s health card. There is no out-of-pocket cost for the
eye exam and if the child requires a pair of glasses, they
will receive them free of charge. The Eye See…Eye Learn
program was developed to raise awareness among parents
about the importance of having their children’s eyes
checked upon starting school. The Ontario Association of
Optometrists recognizes the important link between eye
health and learning, and recommends comprehensive eye
examinations for all children entering kindergarten. All
children can receive an annual comprehensive eye exam
covered by OHIP until their twentieth birthday. The new
program for children born in 2011 will begin on July 1,
2015. For further information and a list of participating
optometrists in your area, visit: www.eyeseeeyelearn.ca.
Guthrie Spring Flower Show 2015
On Monday morning, May 11th, please bring your prize winning, unique, or favourite spring flower—
bloom/stem, and/or flowering shrub, and/or a design of fresh flowers and foliage in a mug.
This fun and friendly competition is open to all Guthrie students and staff. Entry tags are available
from your classroom teacher. Judging begins at 9:30am, and there will be ribbons for the top 3 in
each age category. Garden Club winners who place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd will go on to the OMHS evening flower show for consideration of the Nelsons Trophy in all classes. Each child may show one entry per class (there are 3 classes).
Spring flowers such as crocuses, daffodils, tulips, forsythia or other spring flower must be from your own yard (not purchased
plants). Please bring your flower specimen in a recyclable container (or in a mug if Class 19).
We look forward to seeing your entries. Good luck!
Guthrie Gazette, May 2015
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Autism Awareness Month
By Hailey, Baxter & Ms.Domianczuk
April was National Autism Awareness month. April 2nd was Autism Awareness day and Guthrie recognized this by wearing blue on this day. We
raised the flag for autism awareness in hopes to promote acceptance of
those with Autism. At Guthrie, we had several fundraisers to raise money
for our local chapter Autism Simcoe. We are proud to say that we raised
$582.00 to hand over to our local chapter. Autism Simcoe has more than
5000 members who use their services which include small groups like
“Girls on the Spectrum”, horseback riding, bowling, snow tubing, trampolining, movie events, social skills groups, drumming, March break events
and summer camps. The fundraisers we had at Guthrie were a candy jar
guess, an ugly tie vote, selling Autism Simcoe bracelets, and a movie night.
We also had a donation tree set up in the school and collected donations
all month long. Thank you to Mrs. McCallum, Dannika, Ronan, Emma, and
Tyson for writing a blog about Autism Awareness. The website can be
found at autismresourcesfored.blogspot.ca. Thank you to Ms. Smith, Ms.
Carter, Mrs. Loffelman, and Mrs. McQuade for helping with our fundraiser
on movie night. A special thank you to Mr. Bradley and Mr. Beaton for
wearing the ugly ties. They looked fabulous!
Sometimes kids with autism have a hard time making friends, so try to include them in whatever you are doing. Make sure you explain the rules of
the game, and give them time and a chance to be included because nobody likes to be left out.
Here are some facts on autism: 1 in 68 kids have autism, boys are 4 times
more likely to have autism, no 2 people with autism are alike, kids with
autism have a hard time making friends, playing with others and talking to
others. Remember people with autism have feelings too. Be sensitive and
give them a chance.
WHAT'S IN A NET?
By: Mr. O’Shea
The grade fours' have been learning about nets in geometry. They used success criteria to determine the type of net made
and what they could use to place inside the net related to their idea.
"The students are not only taught to look 'outside the box', but to look deeper and 'look around the box'.
Photos - Erica D. Cole H. Emma W.
Guthrie Gazette, May 2015
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Library News
By: Ms. Carter
Thank you to all of the performers and families who joined our Chapters Night Fundraiser on a
very cold and rainy April 9th. It was an exciting night full of talent! Your support raised valuable
funds that will help with the purchase of new reading material for the Guthrie PS Library. A special
thank you to all of the volunteers and to Mrs. Williamson without whom this event would not be
possible. You are truly appreciated!
Our first annual YourWordsMatter Guthrie Poetry Slam was held in the Library on April 25th. A
poetry slam is a friendly and supportive but competitive poetry reading where poets share their writing with an audience.
Random audience members are invited to contribute scores to a panel of judges. Poems are personal and thought provoking and often tackle big issues. 17 students shared their amazing writing and performing talent with a group of students in
grades 6,7 and 8. Congratulations to Zelia and Noah B. who will be representing Guthrie at the County Poetry Slam at
Minesing PS on Monday, May 11. All of our slam poets who performed here at Guthrie are invited to attend the County
Slam and cheer their teammates on. It will be a valuable experience for all of these young, keen writers!
This month marks the end of our OLA Forest of Reading program here at Guthrie. Students in K-2 participated in our Blue
Spruce Program. We read the 10 nominated picture books over the past few months and had a wonderful time getting to
know some great Canadian writers. Our Guthrie readers chose Roy MacGregor's The Highest Number in the World as their
favourite. It was a very close race with The Day My Mother Came to Kindergarten and Young Frank Architect in second and
third place. We now wait to hear the announcement of the winner of the Blue Spruce Award as voted on by all participating
schools province-wide later in May.
We had a small but loyal group of Red Maple Award readers in grades 6-8. Votes are still being collected and we will be eagerly awaiting the provincial results of this award later in May as well.
Our Spring Book Fair will be happening in the Library May 19-22 (9:00-4:00). Flyers will be sent home shortly.
Yearbook Orders were due May 1. Yearbooks will be delivered in mid-June. Thank you for your orders. The team and our
classes have put together a great yearbook!
Please note: as a
cashless school we
do not keep coins,
change or a float on
hand (with the exception of special
events like Movie
Night, Book Fair, or
similar type events).
If for some reason
you are sending cash
to the school to pay
for something (like a
yearbook, for example), please ensure
you send in exact
change because,
unfortunately, we
are not be able to
make change.
Thank you for your
understanding and
your support!
Guthrie Gazette, May 2015
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