Principal: Mrs. D. Perrott

Vice-Principals: Mrs. P. Rybka, Mme J. Cournoyer-White

Superintendent: Mr. M. Logue

Trustees: Stan Cameron, SuzanneNurse

SouthFields Village Public School

110 Learmont Avenue, Caledon, ON

905-843-3281

September 2017Newsletter

Welcome Back !

SouthFields Village welcomes nearly 1000 students and 85 staff members back to school. As always, there are already so many great things happening in classrooms. During our first week assemblies, we are remindingall of our students of our expectations outside, inside and while on the bus. We look forward to an exciting year as your partners in education!

Upcoming Dates to Remember

Wed. Sept 13: Individual Photo Day

Tues. Sept 26 :Re-Organization Day (No School for Students)

Thurs. Sept 28: Terry Fox Walk (Bring a Toonie for Terry!)

Wed.Oct. 4: Meet the Teacher Open House (6-7pm)

Fri.Oct. 6:Professional Learning Day (No School for Students)

Mon. Oct 9:Thanksgiving (no school for everyone)

Thurs. Oct 12:School Council Meeting (6:30pm Library)

Wed. Nov. 8:Photo Day (Class Pictures and Individual Retakes)

School Hours

Teacher supervision begins every morning at 8:15am. The entry bell rings at 8:25 and students may enter through the entry doors until 8:30. After 8:30, students need to be signed in at the office by their parents because they are considered late.

At the end of the day, there is supervision from 2:50 – 3:05. Any students not picked up by 3:05 will wait for their parents in the office.

Nutrition Breaks

Grade 1-4 students go outside for the first half of the nutrition break and eat during the second half. Grade 5-8 students eat during the first half and go outside during the second half. Students who regularly want to go home for lunch need a letter from a parent, and, if in grade 6 or younger, an adult needs to sign them in and out daily. Please see the first page of the agenda for exact times of these breaks.

Keeping lunches, snack peanut-free

Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that affects some children. We ask that you help us take care of these students by sending lunches and snacks for your child that are free from peanuts or nuts, because these foods are the leading cause of anaphylaxis. Please read the label of any food you plan to send to school with your child. If the label says, "May contain nuts or peanuts," please do not send it to school.

You can get a complete copy of the Peel board's anaphylaxis guideline at under the Parent tab, under Student Health.

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Join our school council—share your ideas

Every Peel school has a school council—a group focused on helping students succeed. School councils provide a voice for parents and the community and offer advice to the school principal on a number of topics. We are holding our first School Council meeting on Thursday, October 12 at 6:30pm in the library. Please return the attached nomination form if you are interested in an elected position on School Council (e.g., Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Representative). Should an election need to take place, it will be held on October 4, 2017 at the Meet the Teacher Open House.

Subscribe to receive news from the Peel board

Take advantage of our electronic subscription service to automatically receive a list of activities by email on a monthly basis. Subscriptions are sent the last week of the month, plus bonuses throughout the year. Subscribing is easy  just visit our website at and click on the subscription link under "Quick Links."

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News releases

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Board agendas

Learn more about Peel board meetings by subscribing to receive agendas. Meetings of the board are open to the public and are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.

Board highlights

Briefing is a newsletter with highlights of decisions made by trustees at board meetings. It is sent out on the second and fourth Thursday of every month and immediately following any special board meetings.
Job postings for non-teaching staff
Learn about each new non-teaching job that is posted on the Peel board's Job Board.

Stay Connected and VisitSouthFields Village’s Website:

You can also choose to be notified via email and/or text message for critical news, such as school closures due to bad weather. Click on the subscribe link on the left-hand side of the main page of our website.

Check out our school website where you'll find:

  • the latest school news
  • contact information for school administration, superintendent and trustee
  • the school calendar
  • enrolment data
  • school hours
  • registration information
  • online library catalogue

You can subscribe online to receive email notifications for school news, calendar events and volunteer job opportunities. You can also choose to receive email and/or text message notifications for critical news, such as school closures due to bad weather. Click on the “Subscribe” link on the left side of the main page of the school website.

Visit the Peel board's other websites:

— learn more about school programs and ways to help your child succeed in school

— an online resource centre with tips and resources for parents to help encourage student success at home

— learn about ways to get involved with your child’s education, including volunteer opportunities and school council.

— online resources and tools to help you make informed decisions and explore your child's options after high school. There are five main pathways: apprenticeship, college, community living, university and the workplace.

— an online planning tool used by grade 7 to 12 students, which includes: high school course selection, goal-setting, financial planning, occupation planner, resume and cover letter builder and a comparison of post-secondary options and presentations

Twitter is a great way to see all the great things happening at SouthFields Village.

Follow SouthFields Village: @SouthFieldsV

FollowMrs. Perrott: @DaniellaPerrott

Follow Mrs. Rybka: @RybkaPamela

Follow Mme Cournoyer-White@Mme_White

Criminal Record Checks required for Volunteers

Parents play an important role in the development and education of their children and in the success of the school community. At SouthFields Village, 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.

To volunteer at our school, please book a short meeting with Mrs. Rybka (ex. 402). During the meeting, potential volunteers will be provided with a letter from the school inviting them to apply for their criminal record check and a list of appropriate documentation to take to the OPP Detachment located at 15924 Innis Lake Road, Caledon East. This process is free as long as you first have a meeting with Mrs. Rybka. In approximately 4-6 weeks after submitting your paperwork, the OPP will contact you. 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. All current volunteers must complete an Annual Offence Declaration which is mailed to your home address in late February. By submitting this form every year, you keep your Criminal Record check valid and current. Any volunteers who do not submit this form to the Peel District School Board by June 30 of each school year are removed from the school volunteer Database and would require a NEW Criminal record check.

Gym Attire

Students in grades 3 - 8 are expected to bring a t-shirt and shorts (or exercise pants/sweat pants/tights) to change into for Physical Education classes. Students in grades 1 and 2 should dress in clothes appropriate for physical activity. Clean, indoor running shoes are required with proper laces and/or velcro straps that keep the shoes snug. Please ensure that your child’s shoes fit properly for safety and to ensure optimal mobility. Jewellery must be removed and long hair should be tied back. If students have religious bracelets, they may be covered by a sweat/wrist band that is brought from home. Students may bring a labeled refillablewater bottle to the gym (disposable water bottles are discouraged). Gym clothes shouldbe left at school, but taken home to be washed on a regular basis.

School Success Updates

The SouthFields Village Learning Community strives to cultivate a welcoming and caring environment flourishing in an ever-changing world. We nurture diverse and responsible citizens who respect the environment, embrace technology and contribute positively to the community. At the beginning of the year, our School Success Team meets to set measureable goals based on our areas of greatest need and we implement success strategies to increase student achievement and well-being within our diverse school community. Peel District School Board continues to focus on Student Success by highlighting four goals:

  • High Expectations for Achievement: Set high expectations for staff and students to ensure all students achieve personal excellence
  • Parent, Community and Staff Engagement: Engage all to support student success
  • Equity and Inclusion: Achieve inclusion for all through continuous progress on equity
  • Safe, Positive, Healthy Climate/Well-Being: Build safe, positive, healthy climates for learning and working to nurture student and staff well-being

Keep students safe in school parking lots

Many elementary schools offer a Kiss N’ Ride program, where parents/guardians can drop off and pick up their children at a designated area on school property. The program was established to provide a convenient and safe option for our students and parents driving to school. To ensure the safety of staff and students, we ask all parents/guardians be mindful of the following guidelines:

  • There is no parking and no waiting in the Kiss and Ride lane. Pay attention to the traffic in front of you and pull forward as cars move forward. If you choose to park in the parking lot, please escort your child to or from the nearest foot patroller and use the main crosswalk.
  • Vehicles entering the Kiss N’ Ride lane must stay in the designated lane, unless otherwise directed by a staff member or volunteer.
  • Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the curb. Students may only exit from the passenger (right) side of the vehicle.
  • After picking up or dropping off your child, leave promptly so that others can get in behind you.
  • If your child is not waiting for you at the main crosswalk at the end of the day, please circle the parking lot and rejoin the line or park in a designated parking space to wait.
  • Always respect traffic flow and abide all traffic laws and signs.
  • The school is not responsible for any tickets a vehicle receives while on our school property

Kiss and Ride Procedures and Usage

As the name implies, you Kiss, and then keep Riding. When dropping off students in this area, please remember to move as far up as possible to take advantage of the whole lane. This lane is monitored by staff and allows safe drop-off and pick-up of students onto the sidewalk side of our parking lot. There is no parking permitted in the kiss and ride. Please do not leave your car unattended.

Please tell staff if your child is in Kindergarten so they can ensure they get delivered to our Kindergarten staff. If you have not used this service, but would like to, please feel free to do so at anytime. Staff members are happy to answer any questions you may have about this process. Please remember that student safety is our number one priority, and your help with dropping students off while in this lane, helps us achieve that!

Peel board trustees  accountable to the community

The Peel board, like every public school board in Ontario, is governed by a board of trustees. Trustees are elected by public school taxpayers every four years during municipal elections. The next municipal election will be held in October 2018. The Peel board currently has 12 trustees representing three municipalities, the two for SFV are listed below:

Trustee / Ward(s) / City / Email / Phone #
Suzanne Nurse
(Vice-Chair) / 2 and 6 / Brampton / / 905-495-3423
Stan Cameron / Caledon / / 905-880-1162

What do trustees do?

  • advocate for the needs of the community
  • help members of the community address concerns about the school system
  • govern and set policies for the board
  • explain the policies and decisions of the board to the community
  • evaluate and review the board’s achievement of its goals, objectives and strategic plan
  • participate in budget development, approve budget decisions and monitor its progress
  • protect the future of the board by always considering the long-term effects of decisions

Visit and check out the ‘Meet Your Trustee’ section to subscribe to board meeting agendas and minutes and read highlights from board meeting.

Immunize your grade 7 children for better health with the HPV-9 vaccine

On August 17th, 2017, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care announced that HPV-9 vaccine will replace the HPV-4 vaccine for grade 7 students starting on September 5th, 2017.

You may recall completing an immunization consent form for your child to receive Hepatitis B, Meningococcal ACYW-135 and HPV-4 vaccines in the spring.Since HPV-4 vaccine will no longer be offered, we require your consent to immunize your child for HPV-9. If you have already spoken to a Peel Public Health Nurse and provided verbal consent for HPV-9, please disregard the consent form that will be sent home at the beginning of the year.

The HPV-9 vaccine provides protection against nine strains of HPV.A fact sheet with more information on the HPV disease will also be provided to each student for parents. Please review the fact sheet with your child and return the signed consent form to the school. Completed consents will be given to Peel Public Health Nurses who will give the vaccines at clinics held in your child’s school this school year.

If you have questions, you can find more information on our website at or you can talk to a Peel Public Health Nurse at 905-799-7700. Caledon residents can call toll-free at 905-584-2216.

Terry Fox Walk

The Terry Fox Walk will take place at SouthFields Village on Thursday, September 28. Students in kindergarten will do a 1km walking loop around the neighbourhood. Students in grades 1-8 will walk a 2.5 km loop around the neighbourhood. Students are encouraged to bring in a Toonie for Terry. Stay tuned for more fun school incentives. Families can also donate to the Terry Fox Walk online at:

Help us to keep Terry’s Dream alive!

What you need to know about busing

Peel District School students may access transportation services if their primary address is within the school's attendance boundary, at a distance of more than:

  • kindergarten and grade 1 students – 1 km
  • grades 2 to 4 students – 1.6 km
  • grades 5 to 8 students – 2 km
  • grades 9 to 12 students – 3.8 km

Eligibility distances are calculated using appropriate roadways and pedestrian walkways and are measured from home property line to school property line using Board approved software to ensure a consistent and equitable assessment of distance for all students and all schools within the Board. It is also important to note that parents are responsible for safely getting their children to and from school.

Contacting STOPR

This website provides up to date delay and inclement weather cancellation information in addition to policy, procedures and frequently asked questions

businfo.stopr.ca This website allows parents to access information specific to “what school do I attend” and “am I eligible for transportation”. This site also provides parents access to specific bus stop location and pick up and drop off times for their children if eligible for transportation

Telephone:905-890-6000

Bus Safety Tips

Statistics indicate that the most critical moment for student safety, while riding a school bus, is actually when students are getting on or off of their school bus. Therefore it is important that parents and guardians understand that they are ultimately responsible for the safe conveyance of their children to and from their bus stop location each day. There is simply no substitute for an adult’s supervision at a bus stop. Here are some important School Bus safety tips for parents and children. Please share this information with parents and students as it may one day save a child’s life.

  • Get to the bus stop in plenty of time so you don’t have to run
  • Wait for your bus in a place that’s away from traffic in the road
  • Bus stops are not appropriate places to push or wrestle with your friends
  • Let the bus come to a complete stop before you try to get on
  • If you can touch the bus, you’re too close
  • Remember if you can’t see the bus driver, then the bus driver can’t see you
  • The driver will let you know when it’s safe to approach the bus
  • Take the steps one at a time, holding onto the handrail
  • Go right to a seat and sit quietly, without blocking the aisle
  • Listen to your bus driver and obey any requests
  • Leave the bus in single file, holding the handrail
  • Walk away from the bus without running and never go behind it
  • If you have to cross the street to leave or board, you need to be 10 giant steps away from the front of the bus. Watch for overhead red lights to flash, and wait for your driver’s signal before crossing
  • If you ever drop something underneath the bus or in its path, leave it there! Never stop to pick it up.

Procedures help keep students safe at school