THE MCKINNON
PIPER
Trustee: Ms. Meredith Johnson Follow us on Twitter
416-706-9215 @mckinnonps SEPTEMBER 2014
http://schools.peelschools.org/1318/Pages/default.aspx
Welcome Back!
On behalf of all the staff at McKinnon P.S., we would like to welcome all new and returning students and families to our school. All of us here at McKinnon are excited to begin the school year. With the new year comes some exciting changes to our school community. The biggest change is the start of Full Day Kindergarten or FDK. This program change will have a significant impact on our building this year from a variety of perspectives. First, we are welcoming many new staff members to support the program. The new Kindergarten team has had the opportunity to meeting several times last Spring and are ready to get started. Second, safety is always a number one priority so please be aware of a difference in the Pick-Up and Drop-Off routines in our Kiss ’n Ride. There will be many more students being picked up and dropped off so traffic flow will have to adjust from last year. There will also be two large busses transporting K-1 bus eligible students. Lastly, with the additional staff in our school and no new parking spaces, parents will not be able to park as easily in our lot as in the past. Please be sure to follow our pick-up/drop-off routines and not double park in our lot. Parking off site and walking in to pick up your child is a strongly encouraged practice to follow.
With regards to the construction delay, the new completion date has been moved ahead to March 2015. This delay is due to the building permit not being issued by the City. To adjust to this new date, the FDK classes starting the year in the gym will be moved into current grade one class rooms on the main floor after the re-organization date which is on September 23rd this year. There is no school for students on this day. This will also mean the movement of some classes out into new portables which will arrive in late September or early October. We will do our best to keep the community informed about this project as information is available.
In the weeks ahead, your child will have a lot of information to share with you. Please take the time to read through the material, especially the student agenda as your signature is required on the Student Permission Form and the letters regarding safe and healthy snacks and lunches. Please note that the first four pages contain helpful "McKinnon" facts that will hopefully answer your questions about our school. Teachers will review this information during the first few days of school such as school hours, lunch time procedures, dress code, Parent Conferences, Peel District School Board School Calendar, etc.
As always, we are here if you need us and we look forward to seeing you at the school in various school activities. We hope that the memorable times spent with family and friends during the summer will linger on in the months ahead. We wish everyone a safe and successful school year!
Ken Diana Anjali Tshering
Principal Vice-Principal
Synrevoice Phone and Email Communication
Due to the recent Anti-Spam laws put into place this past summer the Board has asked that we put our email communication on pause until further notice. As a result we will not be able to send regular email communication until given further direction from the Board. We have started a Twitter account that you can follow to assist us with our communication plan. Follow us at @mckinnonps
DATES TO REMEMBER
Please note the following upcoming special events:
- Reorganization Day – No School for Students – Tuesday September 23
- Terry Fox Walk – Friday September 26th
- Book Fair – Monday September 29th – October 3rd
- Meet-The-Teacher Open House - Thursday, October 2nd
McKinnon P. S. has a Safe Arrival Program in conjunction with daily attendance which is dedicated to all attendance phone calls. Parents or guardians are requested to notify the school in writing or by telephone when a child will be late or absent. Please call the ATTENDANCE NUMBER, at 905-812-2544, EXT. #1 before 8:30 A.M. indicating your child’s name, grade and reason for absence. The Attendance Line is a 24 hour number.
Please provide the names and current telephone numbers of emergency contacts to be notified in the case of an unexplained absence. In all cases where a child is absent from school and the school does not receive a phone call or a note, the school will initiate phone calls in this order: child’s home, parent and/or guardian’s cell phones, parent and/or guardian’s workplace, emergency contacts. Please assist us in minimizing phone calls by calling the school in advance.
Students who arrive at school late must report to the office, sign in and pick up a green admit slip. In this way, the office knows that the child has arrived safely and we can revise the school attendance record to read “late” and not “unknown”.
SCHOOL HOURSYARD SUPERVISION 8:15 A.M.
ENTRY BELL 8:25 A.M.
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAY 8:30 A.M.
MORNING RECESS 9:50 TO 10:05 A.M.
LUNCH 11:25 A.M. TO 12:25 P.M.
ENTRY BELL 12:25 P.M.
AFTERNOON RECESS 2:05 TO 2:20 P.M.
DISMISSAL 3:00 P.M.
MCKINNON P.S. IS A NUT-FREE SCHOOL
We have students in our school with severe life threatening food allergies to peanuts and nuts. This is a medical condition that causes a severe reaction to specific food and can result in death. Although this may or may not affect your child’s class directly, we want to inform you not to send foods that contain peanuts or nut products. Also, students have been asked not to share food snacks or lunches with other children. At the beginning of each year, you and your child will be notified if there is a student in the class with a food allergy. A letter will be sent to you asking your assistance in eliminating exposure to foods that cause an allergic reaction in students with severe allergies. All classrooms have been identified as nut free zones.
BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS WALK TO SCHOOL
Again this year, the City of Mississauga and the Mississauga Traffic Safety Council have partnered with McKinnon P.S. to be a site for the Walk To School Program for the 2014-2015 school year. This program reinforces physical activity and caring for our environment- values that are the cornerstone of our school culture. Classroom prizes, community signage and other promotional materials will be available in the coming months. More information will be coming out shortly. Please stay tuned and find out how you can contribute to this important initiative!
TRAFFIC UPDATE
Thank you to our parents for following our traffic safety rules. Your cooperation has ensured the safety of all students here at McKinnon P.S. The following safety rules will continue to be in place until further notice:
· Bus drop-off and pick-up is on the north side of the school.
· Car "Kiss 'n Ride" area is on the west side of the school.
· Staff are in place to ensure student supervision and safety.
· At 3:00 P.M. parents are allowed to park in our parking lot but must remain in their vehicle at all times.
Thank-you for your cooperation and support with these important safety tips!
STUDENT ENTRY AND EXIT DOORS
Your child will enter and leave the school at various doors based upon their classroom location. Students are not dismissed through the front doors unless an adult is signing them out.
FIRST SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
Our very first School Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. in the library. Bring your questions and ideas and input!
WELCOME BACK MS. MURPHY, OUR CROSSING GUARD
Hours: 8:00 to 8:30 A.M.
11:25 to 11:40 A.M.
11:55 to 12:25 P.M.
3:00 to 3:30 P.M.
Our crossing guard has arrived! Ms. Murphy will be on duty at the corner of Trailbank Dr. and Tacc Drive, just in front of our school. Her hours are listed above. We are so pleased to have Ms. Murphy as part of McKinnon team to ensure our students’ safe arrival and departure from school. Please join me in welcoming Ms. Murphy to the community and encourage your children to do the same. We are hoping this will encourage more students to walk to school safely and reduce our Kiss'N Ride traffic.
PIZZA LUNCHES/McKinnon Store
· We will continue to offer Pizza Lunches on Wednesdays
· Our first Wednesday Pizza Lunch will be October 1, 2014
· Information to be sent home soon
· The Store opening will be delayed this year.
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FILL UP THE BUS AVAILABILITY
McKinnon has two bus available for eligible students in Kindergarten. Should there be space on the bus, we do offer courtesy bussing for the drop off. Seats are assigned based upon availability, whether or not a sibling is on the bus, the age of the student and the distance from the school. If you are interested, please write a letter to Mr. Diana stating your name, address, your child(ren)’s name(s), grade and teacher and reason for your transportation request. All letters must be received by Mr. Diana by Friday, October 3rd at 3:00 pm. Families will be notified by Friday, October 10th.
Offence Declaration required for returning volunteers
Parents play an important role in the development and education of their children and in the success of the school community. At McKinnon P.S., we welcome and encourage the participation of parents and community members, and are grateful for the countless hours our volunteers contribute throughout the school year. A police background check is required for all school volunteers in Ontario. Even if you want to accompany your child on a field trip, you need this background check. A Volunteer Application form will be available for you to fill out on Open House night.
Once you have completed the process, you are on file with the Peel District School Board as being a school volunteer. Beginning this year, all returning volunteers will be mailed an Offence Declaration Form that must be filled out and returned to the board office each year. You will not be able to volunteer with the Peel board until you have returned this form.
If you have any questions about criminal record checks or the offence declaration form, please call the board office at 905-890-1010 ext. 2488.
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September 2014
Dear Peel District School Board Families:
We all want our students to experience success and we do this by focusing on their well being as well as their academics. If a student is facing challenges at home or school it influences how they learn, grow and interact with others. Our goal is to help our students. We have a number of resources within our schools and within the community to help students.
One of the organizations we partner with is Peel Children’s Aid, our local Children’s Aid Society whose role it is to support and help strengthen families so children are safe and well. Last year, Peel CAS worked with about 10,000 Peel families who were experiencing stressors and difficulties related to their children. Ninety percent of Peel CAS work is with children and their families.
Peel Children’s Aid is mandated under the provincial Child and Family Services Act to investigate children in need of protection and work with families to keep children safe. This Act has specific requirements which school staff must follow:
· School staff do not have a choice if they suspect that a student is or may be in need of protection. Staff must report their suspicions directly and immediately to the Children's Aid Society.
· When staff report concerns to Children's Aid, they must also share with them any information about the concern which might otherwise be confidential. We must share information so the Children’s Aid Society can learn more about what is happening and work with families to find solutions, whenever possible.
· It is not the school's responsibility to investigate suspicions, evaluate the situation or assign blame.
· Staff can be fined $1,000 for failing to report that a student is or may be in need of protection. Staff may also be subject to employment consequences and a provincial offence charge under the Child and Family Services Act.
Our staff are aware and knowledgeable of the signs of child abuse and neglect, and as such, has a legal responsibility to report any suspicions to Children's Aid. It is not necessary for staff to be sure that a student is or may be in need of protection. All that is needed is "reasonable grounds to suspect" abuse or neglect. "Reasonable grounds" is defined as being what the average person would expect given his or her training, background and experience.