Parkway Press

Parkway Public School, 24 Duncan Bull Dr.

Brampton , Ontario L6W 1H4

Tel: (905) 451-8440

December 2015

S. Kissoon-Singh, Principal

H. Mason, Superintendent905-451-2862

K. McDonald, Trustee905- 495-7050

Principal's Message

Schooling at Parkway continues to be engaging and exciting. Our students have been busy with lots of learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom! These include field trips, classroom projects, assemblies and play activities.

On November 11th, our school came together to observe Remembrance Day. For us it is a time to remember and a time to be grateful. Many parents joined with us in this event. Our program was filled with music, poems nd reflections of caring and gratitude. On November 22nd our school choir sang at the Brampton Beast game.

This year students’ Progress Reports will be sent home on December 14th. Many parents/guardians have already completed interviews with teachers. At these interviews we discuss your child's progress at school. We focus on your child's strengths, celebrate his/her growth and identify ‘next steps’ or areas for improvement. We also set 'goals’.

Parents/guardians have an important role in their children’s learning. When you get the Progress Report, please review it carefully. Any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher.

As parents/guardians continue to work with the teacher and guide you child:

Sit with your child and review the report card - talk to your child about his/her strengths and weaknesses, and study skills.

Support your child in his/her learning - each day, find a positive way to talk to your child and to help him/her to work on specific skills (e.g. reading and math skills).

Help your child with his/her goals – from time to time talk to your child about his/her goals. Help him/her to think about and practise skills to get to his/her goals.

Our Winter Concert will be held on December 10th, with a start time of 7:00 p.m. Our dress rehearsals will be on December 9th, with a start time of 9:30 a.m. Our Parkway Pride assembly will be held on Dec 17th, with a start time of 9:30 a.m.

Our School Council continues to play an important role at our school. If you are able to help us as we plan for future council activities – please let us know at the school.

When we work together, good things will happen for our school and our children!

S. Kissoon-Singh

Principal

Important dates for December:

Primary Concert Dress Rehearsals-Wednesday,December 9, @ 9:30 a.m.

Primary Concert -Thursday, December 10, @ 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Parkway Community Carol Sing-Wednesday, December 16, @ 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Parkway Pride Assembly-Thursday, December 17, @ 9:30 a.m.

Last Day of school before Winter Break-Friday, December 18, 2015

First Day of school after Winter Break-Monday, January 4, 2016

The last day of school for students is Friday, December 18, 2015 and school reopens on Monday, January 4, 2016.

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SICK CHILDREN

The flu season if here! At school, we have noticed that many of our students are getting ill. We encourage all parents and guardians to take precautions to keep their little ones healthy and well.

Please make sure that when you send your children to school they are well enough to participate in all school activities including outdoor recess as we do not have the space or personnel to watch children during recess breaks. We also discourage medication being brought to the school. Peel District School Board employees are not permitted to administer medication without a 'Form A' (which is available at the school office). The Form A must be completed by a physician. This applies to non-prescription medication as well.

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ELF PROGRAM

The Community Team at Parkway Public School's other focus is "Kids Helping Kids". During the month of December we are encouraging students to bring in new children's scarves, hats, mittens, or gloves. These items are being collected for the Salvation Army's 'Elf Program'.

The goal of the 'Elf Program' is to collect new winter outdoor items which are then distributed to less fortunate children and their families to stay warm during the winter months. The Salvation Army will be coming to pick up all the items collected on Tuesday, December 15, 2015.

We are hoping that the students will bring in as many items as possible so that we at Parkway can help as many families in our community as possible. All contributions will be greatly appreciated.

DECEMBER COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The Spirit of Christmas by which people of all religions can abide is characterized by kindness, generosity and understanding. It is this spirit that we will strive to capture this month at Parkway.

This holiday season, the Community Team at Parkway Public School, is pleased to announce this year's focus:

"The Christmas Food Train".

Starting on Tuesday, December 1, 2015we are encouraging students to bring in non-perishable food items. These items are being collected for the Salvation Army's Food Drive.

The goal of the Food Train is for each class to collect a box of food which will be put together to make the 'Parkway Food Train'. The Salvation Army will be coming to pick up all the items collected on

Tuesday, December 15, 2015.

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Parkway Public School Parent Council

On Friday, December 4th we will be hosting a movie night.

Students willenjoy watching "Inside Out" while eating many yummy

snacks with their parents supervision. Our family movie nights are a

great time to spend time with family and get to know other Parkway families. We hope to see you there.

As it is our goal as council to be able to bring different fun and educational events to all our students at Parkway we thank you for your assistance with all our fundraising initiatives….. every little bit helps.

If you have not joined us on Facebook yet. Please come and like our page. It is a great way to stay informed about school events and learn about Parent Council.

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ATTENDANCE CHECK

905-451-8440

A reminder to all parents that the most effective and efficient way to report your child's absence is to call the attendance line at 905-451-8440 ext. 1. The line is in operation 24 hours a day.

VACATION REQUESTDURING SCHOOL TIME

With an increase in the number of requests directed to the school seeking permission to withdraw students from school because of an impending family trip or vacation, we would like to provide the following information:

  • School personnel do not have the authority to sanction family vacations. This is a personal decision a parent must make.
  • While trips are educational and provide valuable language experiences for children, the demands of the Ontario Curriculum and expected outcomes are challenging. Taking trips at any time during the school year has a direct impact on student learning for all children especially if the trip is for an extended period of time.
  • No time of the school year is the best time to embark on a trip. Skills and concepts are introduced at all times, and with the demand of the Ontario Curriculum this will be even more critical, as teachers attempt to cover all the strands in each of the subject areas.
  • If a student is experiencing learning difficulties, it is even more imperative to think of whether the trip is necessary.
  • Although some parents ask for "work" for their child to complete while on the trip, it is unreasonable to expect parents to teach new skills and cover missed work during their vacation. It is not possible for parents to recreate the classroom environment where new skills are taught and reinforced in context throughout all areas of the curriculum.
  • Asking teachers to provide extra work does not make up for the valuable in-class experiences that accompany skill development. Many skills are taught in a cooperative environment, with the emphasis on problem solving, dialogue and discussion. For example, in math, students are often asked to "model", "transform", "infer", and "communicate their thinking" about a math problem.
  • Parents wishing to have their child review skills already taught may wish to consider having their child keep a "Travel Response Journal", practice math facts, or read daily. Parents may also wish to purchase commercially prepared workbooks which review and consolidate skills in math, reading and writing from the local store.