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It is hard to believe that June is here and we are in our final month of the 2014-2015 school year. It has been an amazing year as Hillside joined with us and many friendships and great times were had by the “Homeside” students. We look forward to the Hillside grade seven and eight students remaining with us for next year. This is a time of excitement and new beginnings for many of our students. I am sure all of our students are anxiously awaiting two months of summer and some lazy, hazy hot days. Many of our students are looking forward to the changes ahead such as a new grade, new classes and for our grade eights, the adventures of a secondary school. We hope your child’s closing month here with our Homelands family is one filled with memories and laughter.
May was an active month with our students participating in Red Maple, soccer tournaments, cross country races, as well as school trips to Camp Onondaga and Ottawa. During trip week, for our students who stayed with us here at the school there was a movie trip, a dance presentation and leadership opportunietes and activities. We also had the grade fives from Oakridge PS, Thorne Lodge PS and Sheridan Park schools here for a morning of activities with our current students. It was a warm and fun welcome for those students who will be joinging us in the Fall and a wonderful leadership opportunity for our Homelands students.
I am happy to share news with you that in September we have the pleasure of welcoming a 0.5 Vice Principal to the Homelands team. Mrs. Simone Wallace is an experienced and highly competent administrator, brings a wealth of experience and understanding of different program opportunities including French Immersion and has effectively worked with families and students from diverse cultural backgrounds. She will be a welcomed and invaluable asset to our teaching and support staff, and to our administrative team. Welcome Mrs. Wallace!
I can honestly say that this year has been a true pleasure and I am sad to see it come to closure, however excited for our students for the next steps in their academic journey. It has been very rewarding working with the students, family members and staff of the Homelands community. I look forward to continuing the successes with all of you and hearing about the growth and journey of our graduates. Wishing you all a wonderful summer with family and friends. See you on September 8th!
Sincerely Dana Wilson
Graduation Information
Our graduation ceremony will be held at Erindale Secondary School in the cafetorium on Wednesday, June 24at 6pm. The ceremony will be followed by a dance and food and drinks will be available for the students. The dance will be concluded at 10pm. More information will follow to the parents and families of our grade eights regarding this event in the next week.
Portable News
As we continue to grow here at Homelands, we are adding a portable to our location for September 2015. We do not plan to have a homeroom in this location however, we will use the portable for some Hillside French classes, Homelands drama and dance classes and an extra space for activites.
CHAMP Math Olympics News
Our Champs Math Team has made it to the finals in Ottawa! Mrs. Dockeray will be taking Crystal Yan, Ivan Yevenko, Emily Wang and Minhall Shen to Ottawa on June 5 and 6 to compete at Charlton University. We wish the Homelands team success!
School Council News
On Thursday, May 21 Melissa Vance presented to parents and community members regarding strategies we can use to support our children and families. She shared a wealth of knowledge and easy ways that we can keep the lines of communication open with our children. Thanks to the support of our School Council and the Parent Reaching Out Grant, this opportunity was made possible for our students and community.
Student Council
“Homeside" students were kept busy during the month of May hosting multiple fundraising events in support of the We Are Silent campaign and Nepal Relief Fund. We raised over $200! Way to go students who pledged to be silent and succeeded in lasting for half or more of the school day. A special thank you to those who contributed goodies for our Asian-Inspired Bake sale – it satisfied our sweet tooth! And last but not least, it was a special treat to listen to our very own Nica Sobrino sing O Canada in Tagalog in the spirit of Asian heritage month.
Sports Corner
Wow! What a year. Homelands students have had so many opportunities to participate in athletic activities. There were intramural sports that ran all year on Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch, as well as sports teams including boys’ and girls’ flag football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, ice hockey, cross country, soccer, track and field, and slo-pitch. A huge congratulations to all of our players who represented Homelands, and a huge thanks to all of the teachers who volunteered their mornings, lunches and after school time to coach. This month, students have the opportunity to try out and participate in a slo-pitch tournament, and the South Peel track and field meet. Good luck to all participants! Students are encouraged to continue to work on their fitness over the summer by engaging in activities including but not exclusive to biking, team sports such as soccer, swimming and jogging. September approaches quickly and tryouts for flag football and fall cross country usually occur within the first few weeks of school!
Physical and Health Education
Students continue to work hard during PE classes. Students are practicing all of the “track” events during class time including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m. For the “field” items, students are learning the triple jump and how to safely throw a shot put. Thanks to a “Pan-Olympic and Para-Pan-Olympic” grant from the school board, we were also able to purchase some practice javelins. Teachers will use results from class times to invite students to try out for the “Homeside” track team. Interspersed with track and field, students will continue to play soccer games, and work on ultimate Frisbee and some touch rugby.
Please remind your child to wear running shoes every day. If he or she wears flip flops to school, he/she will not be able to participate in our activities due to safety issues. Also, a CHANGE of clothing is mandatory in middle school. This means that a different pair of shorts and top must be worn… Many students try to simply shed a top layer of clothing and are therefore not actually changing clothes. Deodorant is recommended as well. Please no colognes or sprays.
Tip of the Month: Dress Code, Hydration and Allergies/Medications
A surprising concern has come up in gym regarding nutrition and hydration. A number of students are coming to school without having had breakfast, and are then feeling nauseous after gym class. The same goes for those students who are not drinking enough water. Students are allowed and are encouraged to bring their own refillable water bottles to class and gym. Another way to stay hydrated includes eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Please ensure your child is drinking lots of water and eating a meal before coming to school.
Did you know that if your child was born between July2, 2000 and December 31, 2003, he/she can get a free swim and transit pass for the months of July and August? Simply go to your closest Mississauga community centre with proof of age (e.g., A Health card) and sign up! These passes, called Freedom passes, are limited, so act quickly! Also, the city offers “splash passes” at a low cost for the summer so your child can remain active by swimming daily.
From the Art Studio
As usual, Homelands art students have been very productive over the last month. A lot of workwas presented during Open House and we hope you had a chance to see your child's pictures.
The grade 6 students took a leap back in time and compared ancient Greek buildings with ancient Roman structures. The big difference, of course being the introduction of the arch and dome. They made colourful drawings of both types ofstone architecture.
Thegrade 7 students completed their inquiry project on Transportation/Movement. They were required to choose a topic (e.g., cars, horses, swimming) and collect 2 images and make 2 sketches. They were to include 5 questions about the topic and answer those questions. Lastly, they were to make a water colour painting based on their research. It was a challenge. Now we are into the carving season outside with soapstone andcarpenter files as we study the Inuit.
The grade 8 students have been studying the work of modern artist Georgia O'keefe. She combined abstract elements with close ups of bones and flowers inspired bythe desert. The students presentedabstract water colour paintings using the wet on wet technique. They are now looking into design and while answering the question- "Why do things look the way they do?"
Artistically,
Mr. Johnston
Music Notes
Greetings from the music department. It is hard to believe that another school year has nearly come and gone and upon reflection,I am always amazed atwhat thestudents have achieved here at Homelands. From the beginning squeaks and squacks of band instruments in September for the grade 7's (and March for the grade 6's) to the full and mature sound that our bands and choirs have been able to establish, Homelands music students have accomplished much this year. There have been performances at our Winter and Spring concerts, festival performances at the Living Arts Centre and the Kiwanis Festival in Kitchener as well as our upcoming music festival at Canada's Wonderland. The Choir performed a wonderful tribute piece for Music Monday at a recent sharing assembly. The Grade 7's are now ready to take on new leadership roles for our Senior Band next year and the grade 6's will be able to hit the ground running as they have already learned 6 notes on their instruments and are playing simple melodies with poise and confidence. 2015, 2016 will prove to be an exciting year indeed for the music department. Remember, keep practicing!
Musically,
Heath Allen
On the road again—how to keep your cyclist safe
Here are some tips you can review with your child to ensure bike season gets off to a great start:
The right fit
- children should be able to straddle the bike with both feet on the ground
- a bike that is too big or too small can be a safety hazard
- the helmet should fit—if it's too loose, it could fall off, if it's too tight, it's uncomfortable
Get noticed
- a young child's bike should be equipped with a bell and reflector
- older riders should have a light and/or reflectors
Follow the rules
- no riding on busy streets
- no riding at night
- stop for all STOP signs
Actions that cause injuries
- driveway ride out—not stopping and looking both ways before entering the street
- running the stop sign
- turning without warning
- cycling in the dark
- following the leader—one child goes through a stop sign or misses a parked car but the second cyclist doesn't
Important Dates:
June 8Report Card writing ~ No students present
June 11Senior Band, Announcers and Office Helpers to Wonderland
June 12Track and Field competition at Chinguacousy Park
June 23Celebrations and Award assembly in the afternoon
June 24Grade 8 Graduation at Erindale SS 6pm – 10pm
June 26Last day of school for students