Website: http:/jon.scdsb.on.ca 105 Johnson St., Barrie, ON L4M 4R4 Telephone: (705) 728-9251 Twitter - @Johnson_Street PRINCIPAL: Jennifer Brown APRIL 2015 NEWSLETTER IMPORTANT Mar 31st - Apr 28th – Grade 1 & 2 Swim Program April 2nd – World Autism Day April 3rd – Good Friday, No School! April 6th – Easter Monday, No School April 8th – International Day of Pink April 8th – School Council 6:30 in library Community Maple Syrup and Pancake Breakfast Mark the date on your calendar: Saturday, April 18th from 9:00 to 11:30. Join us for pancakes, fresh maple syrup and sausages. And bring some loonies and toonies for the Jars of Joy sale. This fun community event is not to be missed! Looking for FUN FAIR Volunteers Johnson Street Public School is excited to announce our upcoming Fun Fair and Silent Auction on Thursday June 4th. This event will help the Parent Council raise money to support school programs including: funding field trips and sports teams, technology (student laptops and Ipads), outdoor education and play equipment. We are asking for your assistance and support with this event. We would love to have your participation in one of the following ways: 1. Volunteer for the event. The Fun Fair would not be possible without the support of our volunteers who assist with setup, games, concession and cleanup. 2. Donations for our silent auction. These could include gift cards, new items or services. 3. Bring your family and friends to help make this a great event! If you are interested in helping make this a successful fundraiser for Johnson Street Public School or have any other inquiries please contact Shannon Stephenson at [email protected] THANK YOU Johnson Street PS would like to thank Ed DeBiasio and Chris Simpson from United Lumber Home Hardware on Bayfield Street for their generous donation to our school, and Matt Pryce who connected them with us. Thanks to their wonderful donation, we now have the wood required to build four planter boxes that will be used to teach our students about gardening and growing food. We would also like to thank Marc Gelinas and his woodworking students at Eastview Secondary School DATES April 18th – Community Breakfast! All Welcome! April 23rd – Kindergartens at Tiffin Centre April 24th – Spirit Day – Pj Day April 30th – Character Education Assembly 9:00 May 21st – Welcome to Kindergarten – 5:30 – 6:30 for building our planter boxes. We are looking forward to having them installed and starting our gardening soon! Thank you for helping us grow together! PARKING LOT SAFETY We appreciate how careful the majority of parents have been when dropping off and/or picking up their children. Thank you for supporting our kiss and ride procedure. As long as everyone adheres to using the curb lane as a drop off or pick up point, the system actually works. The important part is not to get out of your vehicle and leave it unattended. If you would like to get out of your vehicle, you are welcome to park on Adam Street, Alexander Street or our school parking lot. Thank you for helping us to provide a safe environment for your child. Are you moving? Believe it or not, planning for the next school year has already begun! It is very helpful for us to have an accurate enrolment projection. When you know if you are moving in or out of our attendance area, would you let us know right away? Thank you. We appreciate this courtesy as it facilitates the organization of classes and staff allocation. Circle of Learning Parent Academy - Free workshops to help you boost your child’s success 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. Register to attend workshops throughout the year designed to help you support your child’s learning and development. Upcoming workshops include:  April: Math 101 - all parents can support their children in math  May: Resilience: Nine things kids need from their families, schools, and communities Find workshop dates, times, descriptions and register online at www.scdsb.on.ca/circleoflearning. The Circle of Learning Parent Academy is hosted by the Simcoe County District School Board’s Parent Involvement Committee and made possible with the support of the Ministry of Education through a Parents Reaching Out Grant.  show proof of their child’s age (original birth certificate is a required)  immunization record  live within our school boundaries  bring work numbers for either or both parents  bring an emergency number where we can reach a friend or relative if we are unable to reach you.  Please call the office to set up a time to register your child as soon as possible @728-9251. Appropriate Dress for School Our students need to choose modest clothing for the school setting. It is important to create positive relationships with one another based on respect of themselves and others. Dress and body image are included in the issue of mutual respect as are bullying and harassment prevention. Parents are asked to be involved in discussing the choice of school clothing with their children and to support the following guidelines:  Shoulder straps on tops must be at least 3 cm wide. Bra straps must not be showing. No undergarments should be showing.  The midriff area of the body must be covered.  Writing and pictures on clothing must not reflect themes of alcohol, drugs, violence, sexual connotations or vulgarity. When students are not dressed appropriately, a phone call home for a change in clothing will be made, or clean clothing we have on hand will be worn over instead of the inappropriate item. Believe or not! We really do encourage, insist, beg students to wear appropriate footwear and stay out of the mud and puddles! I’m sure you must sometimes wonder given the state of their socks and shoes. Rubber boots or outdoor footwear should continue to be worn in the school yard and students should continue to change to indoor shoes so classrooms remain clean, comfortable areas for learning. Nonetheless, an extra pair of dry socks in knapsacks is a smart idea! Bradford Greenhouses As spring approaches we start to think about gardening. Once again this year, Bradford Greenhouse has included us in their rebate program. When you are shopping at Bradford Greenhouse this spring, please mention our school name before the cashier starts checking out items. Thank you for your support. Every little bit helps! PROVINCE-WIDE TESTING GRADE THREE AND SIX EQAO PROVINCIAL ASSESSMENTS WHAT? An integrated assessment unit wherein students are encouraged to probe, ponder, question, hypothesize and to contemplate their world. There are performance-based, short answer and multiple choice assessment activities in reading, writing and mathematics. It takes approximately 6 hours over 3 days. WHEN? For your advanced planning, this year’s EQAO assessment window is as follows: Grade 3 & 6 – May 25 – June 5th, 2015! Please do not schedule appointments as interruptions in the testing are difficult to accommodate. Results will be released in the fall of 2015. DOGS! A number of our students are frightened by dogs - big or small. Please do not bring dogs onto the school property near the main gate. There is a designated waiting area behind the recycling shelter near the bike rack. Thank you for respecting this policy. Please remember as well that the school playground is not a dog park. Unfortunately in the fall, we had issues with dog excrement on the yard. Johnson Street has Character! We will be celebrating those students who have KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION! FULL DAY – EVERY DAY! Kindergarten classrooms are active, stimulating, supportive and challenging. Your child will learn to make choices, take risks, create, explore and solve problems. A good Kindergarten program provides a sound foundation for all future learning. If your child was born in 2011 he/she is eligible to attend Junior Kindergarten in September 2015. To register, parents must: demonstrated great character in March and April on April 30th at 9:00. The character trait focus is Integrity for March and Empathy for April. April 30 event for parents highlights social media safety, cyberbullying and digital citizenship On Thursday, April 30, all Simcoe County District School Board parents and students are invited to attend an evening event with Chris Vollum. Chris, a well-known speaker on the topic of social media, will speak about the potential of online communication among youth and how to use it for positive and meaningful connections. His talk will help parents develop the skills to communicate with their children and minimize the risk of bullying, cyber-bullying and loss of reputation. He will highlight opportunities and platforms with which students may build a positive social presence and reputation. The event will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Nantyr Shores Secondary School, 1146 Anna Maria Ave. in Innisfil. If parents and students are not able to attend in person, the presentation will also be livestreamed via the following link: https://plus.google.com/events/cs0u4bms6ofivnft85phtt7 o88c. This event is brought to you by a Ministry of Education’s Parents Reaching Out Grant to support parent engagement. Register now for spring 2015 Triple P Parenting programs The SCDSB’s Continuing Education Department, in partnership with Parents as Partners, is pleased to offer new spring Parenting Programs available April through June. These are free for all parents who have children in school. For more information, visit the Learning Centres website at http://thelearningcentres.com/ and then click on ‘Parent’. Homework Help for students in Grades 7 to 10 Homework Help is a free online math help resource for students in Grades 7 to 10. Homework Help provides free, live one-on-one tutoring from Ontario teachers Sunday to Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The program is funded by the Ontario government and administered by TVO's Independent Learning Centre. To log in, students will need to register with their Ontario Education Number (OEN), found at the top of their report card near their name. For more information, visit https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/ Child care options in Ontario The Ontario government recently launched an advertising campaign to raise public awareness about child care options in this province. The campaign’s objective is to support and empower parents, so they can choose child care that suits their family’s needs. It provides information about different types of care, and indicators of quality in child care settings. For more information and resources about child care options in our province, visit www.ontario.ca/childcare. For more information about child care in our schools, including before- and after-school care options, visit SCDSB’s public website at www.scdsb.on.ca and then click on ‘Schools’ – ‘Before and After School Care.’ Pack a rainbow in your kid’s lunch! The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit would like to remind parents about the importance of a school lunch      full of colourful veggies and fruit. Try some of these tasty kid-friendly ideas to ensure they will eat what you pack: Add grated carrot to egg or tuna salad Pack veggies or fruit in small bite size pieces for easy eating Prepare veggies and fruit with different tools that change the shape and add interest to your child’s lunch. Use melon ballers, vegetable crinkle cutters, cookie cutters or even an egg slicer to make some great shapes Use a shake of cinnamon on cut fruit if it tends to turn brown - they will enjoy the new flavour to their favourite apple or banana pieces If your kid is a dipper, add a small container of yogurt or pudding for fruit dipping or cottage cheese or hummus for veggie dipping For more information you can call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-5720 and speak with a public health nurse or visit the health unit website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org. Working Together To Support Our Children presentation on May 7 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. This event will be free to parents and takes place on May 7 in the evening at Liberty North in Barrie. Language interpretation services will be available. 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 wellbeing. For more information, visit http://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/. Our school is recognizing this week by having an on-site school-wide walk. More details will be provided closer to the date.