Assikinack Public School
February2017
Newsletter # 6
HOME OF THE BLACKBIRDS “BEE THE WAY”
Shelley Clark, Principal Janice Alguire, Vice-Principal
From the Principal’s Desk
It’s February at Assikinack, and there is lots going on: Teams - Intermediate Boys BB coached by Mr. Bettridge; and Intermediate Girls Volleyball coached by Mrs. Morin; Speeches – February 11;Pink Shirt Day & Inclusiveness Assembly – February 22; ASSIKINACK ARTS NIGHT – MARCH 1; Mental Health Awareness Day, Gr. 5-8 – March 8
*** Term 1 Reports go Home February 17 ***
Reporting: Teachers usecontent standards and performance standards to evaluate students’ achievement in each curriculum. Content standards are the curriculum expectations outlined in each grade/subject curriculum. Performance standards are outlined in the Achievement Chart for each curriculum. The Achievement Chart organizes the knowledge and skills students need to demonstrate in knowledge and understanding, thinking (use of), communication (conveying of) and application (apply in other contexts). Teachers assess students’ achievement of curriculum expectations on the basis of “levels” (performance standards) in the Achievement Chart. Level 1 indicates limited effectiveness demonstrating curriculum expectations; Level 2 – some effectiveness; Level 3 – considerable effectiveness and the Provincial Standard for achievement; and Level 4 – a high degree of effectiveness. Letter and percentage grades correlate to the levels in Gr. 1-6 and Gr 7 & 8. Attached with this Newsletter is a Generic Achievement Chart and Level Conversion Chart to assist your understanding of the Report Card.
RecognizingAssikinack Students
We recognize students and bring awareness to SCDSB character traits at our monthly Student Recognition Assemblies.
CONGRATULATIONS TO STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED RECOGNITIONFOR OPTIMISMAT THE JANUARY ASSEMBLY!
Throughout the month of January, morning announcements introduced students to the benefits of having a Growth Mindset towards learning, especially towards learning that is challenging and requires perseverance. Throughout the month of February, we will be focusing on Inclusiveness. We are also highlighting the benefits of physical activity through daily Fitness challenges and getting the Jumpstart pedometers program up & running.
DATES TO MARK ON YOUR CALENDARS:
Feb. 10 – Gr. 7 Immunizations (make-up from bus cancellation day)
Feb. 14 – School Speeches
Feb. 17 – T1 Reports Cards go home
Feb. 20 – Family Day
Feb. 22 – Pink Shirt Day & Inclusiveness Assembly, 9:05 Gym
March 1 – Assikinack Arts Night (see flyer attached)
March 3 – PA Day
March 8 – Mental Health Awareness Day Gr. 5-8; Raise-the-Dough night School Council fundraiser
March 13-17 – March Break
March 20 – Return to School following March Break
School Council Update:
A School Council meeting was held January 30/17. Michelle Juffermans, FDK teacher, shared calming strategies used in classrooms.
The Next School Council Meeting is April 3, 6:15, Staff Room
Babysitting is provided
Fundraisers so far this school year:
Terry Fox - $1,616.30
Meet the Teacher BBQ - $550.34
Monster Mash - $468.76
Hewitt’s Farm Market & Bakery - $494.75
UPCOMING: Raise-the-Dough Night at Domino’s Pizza – March 8/17
School Council Supporting:
*”Jack” play
*STEAM
*Green Screen in the School Library is installed!
*Lego Wall in the School Library – on its way
All welcome to attend School Council meetings
Our Positive School
When a parent/guardian is concerned about something their child is saying about his/her emotional state:
•Listen, Listen, Listen to your child
•Be available when your child wants to talk
•Seek advice, guidance or support for yourself from the family doctor, community support agency, e.g., Kinark
•Offer to help by suggesting / arranging a visit to the doctor or through contact with a community support agency
•Be accepting and non-judgmental
Adapted from Midland Youth Project, CMHA
Call 211 when you don’t know where to turn. 211 helps people find the right community and social services.
Is your child turning four this year? It’s time to register for Kindergarten
Our school is now registering children for Kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year. Required registration documents include birthdate documentation, proof of address and record of immunization. Visit for more information.
Temperature Limits for Outdoor Play
The recommendation is that children be kept indoors if the temperature falls below -25 C, or if the wind chill is -28 C or greater (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2009).
Reminder About Our School Parking Lot
A friendly reminder to take extra care in our school parking lot now that snow has finally arrived and we have fewer parking spot! Drivers: please be mindful of pulling out of parking spaces as large piles of snow can decrease visibility. As well, remember our Kiss and Ride procedures are still in effect. School board property is private property, and in some cases (eg. after hours) vehicles could be towed from parking lots to facilitate snow removal. Unauthorized parking in school lots overnight and/or weekends is at the sole risk of the vehicle owner.
Pink Shirt Day
We are holding a Pink Shirt Day Inclusiveness Assembly on February 22 at 9:05 in the school gym. Your child may wish to wear a pink shirt on that day.
From
David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a grade 9 boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt… They took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bout 50 pink tank tops. They sent out the message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. “It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders”.
From Assikinack’s Green Team
PASTIC RING ALERT
The plastic rings used to package six-packs of soda are harmful to the environment in at least two ways. First, most of them are NOT biodegradable which means that they become permanent parts of our landfill problem. Second, many of them end up floating in our ponds, lakes, streams, rivers or oceans and creatures plunge their beaks or heads through the rings. Unable to free themselves, the birds starve to death because they cannot open their beaks to eat, or suffocate because they cannot open their throats to breathe. YOU CAN HELP!Carefully cut open all of the loops before you discard plastic six-pack rings. You could save a bird's life and suffering.
NEWS FROM THE SCDSB
Your top eight snow day questions answered:
Bus cancellations and snow days are inevitable in Simcoe County. Each time buses are (or aren’t!) cancelled, the SCDSB and the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC) receive many questions from students, parents and community members. Check out the Sharing Simcoe blog for the top eight questions and answers - visit and search for ‘snow’. Remember to follow the SCSTC on Twitter @SCSTC_SchoolBus for bus updates and cancellations.
School bus safety tip from the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC):
Winter weather is here, so please be sure your child’s clothing provides the appropriate protection against the weather while waiting for the bus. Students are requested to be at their bus stop at least five minutes before their scheduled pick-up time. School vehicle delays of 15 minutes or more are posted under 'View Bus Delays' at the SCSTC website:
Student information notice for parents of Grade 8 students:
As students progress from elementary school to secondary school, important personal student information is shared which eases each student’s transition to secondary school. Sharing this information also improves our ability to program effectively to benefit all students. Select student information will be shared at different times as appropriate. The collection and use of personal student information for such purposes is authorized under sections 170, 171, 190 Part X and Part XIII of the Education Act. All information used for the transition process is limited, secure and protected at all times. Please contact Mrs. Paula Murphy, Superintendent of Education for this area, if you would like more information about the transition process at Assikinack PS.
Operations Appreciation Day a chance to say ‘thank you’:
Feb. 8 is Operations Appreciation Day in the Simcoe County District School Board. We celebrate and recognize our custodians and operations maintenance employees for the great work they do every day to keep our schools safe and clean. We’d like to say thanks to Mrs. Diana Bello and Mr. Jon Sanderson.
Please encourage your child(ren) to take a moment to thank these very important staff members on Feb. 8. Share your support on social media using #props2ops.
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News from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit:
Get the flu shot, not the flu!
Influenza (the flu) is a serious respiratory illness caused by a virus. Anyone can get influenza but young children, those over 65 and people who are pregnant or who have chronic medical conditions are more vulnerable and at higher risk of complications like pneumonia. By getting your shot you are protecting yourself as well as those around you.Flu shots are available at many pharmacies and from health care providers throughout Simcoe Muskoka. Protect yourself, protect your family – get the flu shot!For more information, contact Health Connection at 1-877-721-7520 or visit the health unit’s website at
The facts of lice: How to prevent and treat this nuisance
Like everywhere else, there are head lice in Simcoe County. Lice are a nuisance, but do not pose a public health hazard as they are not known to transmit any infectious diseases. Anyone can get head lice but kids tend to get them more often because they can have head-to-head contact with other children during school and play. The best way to keep head lice in check is to work together to prevent the spread.
Schools are required to inform parents when a case of head lice is confirmed, to provide parents with timely information to begin their own checks at home. Head lice management and treatment is a responsibility of parents/guardians.
Here are some tips to help prevent and treat lice:
- Teach your child not to share personal things like hair brushes, combs and hats
- Set a schedule to check your child’s head regularly. Use an area with bright light and look carefully for nits (shells containing eggs) and live lice in the hair, behind the ears and around the neck and hairline. Nits looks like half the size of the head of a pin, shaped like a teardrop and stick to the hair so you can’t blow, flick or easily side them off. Lice are about the size of a sesame seed and are very hard to see because they can crawl and hide but they cannot hop or fly.
- If you find nits or live head lice, you’ll need to use a head lice treatment to kill them. Make sure to follow the directions, and then to do a second treatment 7 to 10 days later to help stop the lice from returning. Head lice are not likely to live in clothing, furniture or bed linen but it’s a good idea to wash bed linen and hats in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer just in case.
For more information, visit the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s website or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.
Kids fighting? Here are some tips for a more peaceful household
It’s common for children to disagree or argue at times.They may fight or get aggressive with when things don’t go the way they want, or if they feel jealous or competitive, especially with siblings. So what can you do to stop fighting before it starts?
- Let your child know what behaviour you expect by explaining rules for playing with others, such as “be gentle” and “keep your hands and feet to yourself.”
- Praise your child when they are playing well with others.
- Help children to solve problems before fights start.
Remember, you and other adults play a big role in setting expectations and teaching children better ways of behaving. For more tips, call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 and talk to a public health nurse about the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program or visit
Developing leadership skills in your kids
There are many reasons why developing youth leadership skills at a young age is important – it builds confidence, perseverance, problem-solving and communication skills. While leadership skills can come naturally, children learn lessons along the way that significantly impact them later in life. The right words at the right time can make all the difference. Here are some ways you can teach your children how to develop leadership skills at a young age:
- Encourage team activities:Identify your children’s interests and encourage their participation in group activities. Whether it’s participating in afterschool sports or joining the school band, childrenlearn valuable lessons about teamwork through these activities.
- Enrol in camp:Overnight and day camps are filled with opportunities to participate in team-building activities and build self-confidence. Once youth reach a certain age, they can also become counsellors, where they’ll be tasked with leading groups of younger children – the ultimate leadership experience!
- Find volunteer and community service opportunities: firsthand experience is one of the best ways to teach leadership skills to children. Look for local opportunities that will welcome youth helpers and volunteers in your community.
ATTACHMENTS
Assikinack Arts Night
Achievement Standards Chart &
Letter and Percentage Grades Conversion Chart