Westervelts Corners Public School

20 Brickyard Way

Tel: 905-459-3456

Principal: Ms. S. FraleighVice-Principal: Mrs. T. Paiva

Office Manager: Mrs. J. TurnerOffice Assistant: Mrs. K. Celenza

Date / Event / Details
December 6 / Nutcracker Trip / Grade 4s and 5s
December 10-20 / Mitten Drive Begins
December 13 / Nature Trip / Grade 2s
December 24-January 6 / Winter Break / No School for Students
January 21 / PA Day / No School for Students
January 31 / Kindergarten Reports Go Home!

Westervelts News

It seems that the New Year will mean some changes for Westervelts Corners. In January, we are pleased to welcome Mrs.Maraj and Mrs. Law back from their maternity leaves. Mrs. Law will be returning to the grade two pod, and Mrs.Maraj will be teaching with Mrs. Larkin in Kindergarten. Unfortunately, this means that Mrs. Tacoma and Mrs. Crago will be leaving our school. We have been so fortunate to have them as part of our Westervelts family, and we know that you will join us in wishing them well in their future endeavours.

On behalf of the staff, I would like to wish all of our Westervelt’s families a wonderful winter holiday and a joyful New Year! We look forward to seeing you in 2013! Ms. Fraleigh

Mitten Drive

Thank you to all the families who supported our mitten drive. We were happy to collect many hats, scarves and pairs of mittens that we have shared with children in the community. Your generosity is very much appreciated!

Drivers We Need Your Help

As you are aware, we have been working very hard to ensure the safety of our parking lot. With your help, we are now seeing a dramatic improvement in the safety of our parking lot. Most parents are now using the “kiss and ride” to drop off and pick up their students, on a daily basis. We are happy to report that fewer children are walking through the cars and buses in the parking lot!

If you have not used the “kiss and ride” lanes we encourage you to do so. In the morning, simply drive to the front of the school and remain in the “kiss and ride” lane. Your child can quickly and safely exit your vehicle and can then walk along the pathway to the rear of the school. We ask that during this process, you remain in your car. Teachers are on duty to ensure that they get to the yard safely.

At the end of the day, a staff member escorts all “kiss and ride” students to the front of the school. As you pull up to the school, using the designated lane, your child will be able to meet you without delay. Again, there is no need for you to leave your vehicle.

Thank you for helping us to make Westervelts Corners a safe learning environment for all of our students!

Student Attendance

Please note that instruction for all students begins at 9:20 every day. It is important that all students are in class,prepared to learn at the start of the school day. We know:

  • Students miss important social time with their peers before schools begins
  • Students feel embarrassed or self-conscious
  • Late arrivals can disrupt the routine of the classroom
  • A last-minute rush can be stressful for the child, and might get them to school in the wrong frame of mind
  • Missing five or ten minutes of the day can make it harder for the students to understand the materials being taught
  • Frequent absenteeism leads to gaps in a child’s skills and knowledge base, and can cause the child to fall behind their peers and hurt their self-esteem

Parents, you can support your child by ensuring that you bring your children, on time, every day to school. If school is cancelled due to weather, announcements will be made on the board website, on the radio and on the local news. If schools are open, and busses are running, it is important that your child comes to school, on time! We thank you for your support! If your child does arrive at school after the bell, they must come to the front office and receive a late slip. A classmate will come from the class to escort them to their room. We must insist that parents leave their children at the office. For the safety of our students, no parents are permitted in the hallways without a visitors badge!

This month, a group of students from WesterveltsCorners formed a team called the Helping Hands. The team worked on something called FLL or First Lego League. FLL has 3 parts to it, the robotics, core values and the project. The Helping Hands won the project trophy over 24 other teams! For the project, the team had to create an original product that will be useful for senior citizens. The Helping Hands created a cane that has a little platform that is half of a step (9 cm.) So it is more steps, but smaller ones. Congratulations to the Helping Hands!

By Jeremy (grade 5)

Also, a big Thank you to Mr. Ambury and Mrs. Huk for all out their assistance with the Lego League!

Register for French immersion, extended French by Jan. 25

Are you thinking of registering your child for French immersion (FI) or extended French (EF)? Attend an information session to learn more about the programs.

If you were not able to attend the parent night in the fall about the programs, you are invited to an information session at the HJA Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario St. (at Matheson Blvd.) in Mississauga:

French immersion - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013

It's time to register children born in 2009 for kindergarten
Register at Westervelts Corners on Feb. 4, 6, 7 & 8
We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2009, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2013. Registration will be held at our school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 4, 6, 7 & 8 and 5 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 7.

What you will need to bring to registration

Proof of child's age

  • Canadian birth certificate /Canadianpassport /citizenship card/certificate /Permanent Resident Card /confirmation of permanent residence /work permit /refugee permit

Proof of address

  • Ontario driver's license/utility bill /bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution) /credit card statement /federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents) /purchase agreement

Proof of custody– children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation supports an alternate living arrangement

Proof of immunization– proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated

Character Assembly

This month, our character focus was on co-operation. The grade two classes taught us about co-operation by sharing a number of songs and a wonderful play with our classes. Mrs. Crago’s class also shared a song with us! At the end of the assembly many students were recognized for being co-operative and received a prize from our “Gotcha” box. Well done!

In the month of January, we will be learning about inclusiveness.
You show INCLUSIVENESS when you:

  • Welcome and engage others.
  • Treat everyone with respect and dignity.
  • Approach situations free of prejudice.
  • Reach out to others in a fair and equitable manner.
  • Respect differences