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Shaw P.S. News

School Website: http://schools.peelschools.org/1489/Pages/default.aspx

February Newsletter

Principal’s Message

Dear families,

We begin with a warm thank you to the students and staff at Shaw Public School who have

been actively working together to achieve great things in the month of January. Last month

was filled with great learning for students, families and staff. Our appreciation to Mrs. Carson,

Mrs. Ganesh and our multi-cultural settlement worker for organizing great Chat & Chai

parent workshops. We had strong parent and grandparent participation through active

conversations about parenting and raising resilient children during each Chat & Chai meeting.

We encourage parents, guardians and grandparents to come out to enjoy future Chat & Chai

sessions. If there are topics you would like to learn about please contact either Mrs. Carson, Mrs. Ganesh or our multi-cultural settlement worker to share your ideas.

On January 7th OFIP tutoring sessions began at Shaw Public School. The OFIP Tutoring goals and objectives are:

✔ To improve student literacy ✔ To improve student numeracy ✔ To monitor and track student improvement in the areas of literacy and numeracy

using reliable and effective tracking tools and systems ✔ To provide support for the parents of those students who are struggling with

literacy and numeracy ✔ To develop students' learning skills and to encourage and sustain positive student

attitudes toward lifelong learning

A warm thank you to Miss. Cosgrave, Mrs. Ganesh, Miss. Mountain and Mrs. Farrugia who

are supervising the tutoring groups. Miss. Cosgrave, Mrs. Ganesh and Mrs. Farrugia’s

sessions are running on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:35 until 4:20 pm. Miss Mountain's

group will run on Tuesdays from 3:35 pm until 4:25 pm and from 1:30 pm to 2:10 pm on

Thursdays. Each teacher is running innovative, high interest tutoring programs that are

interdisciplinary and are responsive to student need and which have the ultimate goal to improve mathematics and literacy skills.

As we move into the month of February, a month focused on caring and positive relationships, I encourage all members of our school community- students, staff and families,

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to take the time to say thank you to each other for the important work being done to support student success and to build the wellness of each other. From Mrs. Vahra and myself, a

sincere thank you for the hard work, the quality teaching, the fine management and the care

we witness in our building each and every day. We are proud to be a Peel school that is deeply committed to every child’s success.

Yours in Education,

Sally Ann Gibson

Principal

Morning Drop Off and Afternoon Pick up

This is an important reminder to all parents. Supervision starts outside

at 8:55 a.m. every morning. Prior to this time there are no supervisors

to monitor students. We ask families to not drop students off before

8:55, with the exception of those students participating in the

breakfast program or those enrolled in before school care, to ensure the safety of your

children. Our school day ends at 3:30 p.m. Please be timely in picking up your child or children

at 3:30. The office staff are not allowed to supervise students, and the administrators are not

always available to monitor students in the office. Thank you for your attention to our drop off and pick up times and expectations.

Birthday Celebrations & Special Celebrations

Children enjoy having their birthdays recognized. Many of our parents enjoy sharing their

special day with other children in the class. Please be mindful that we cannot accept food of

any kind for birthday celebrations – or any type of special celebration. Many of our children

have allergies to milk, wheat, eggs, seafood and many other foods beyond peanuts. Please

exercise great care in not sending food items in to recognize birthdays or special days.

Therefore, if you would like to send a loot bag to school, please fill it with non-food items

such as, pencils, stickers, etc. for everyone to enjoy! This request will be for all classes from

Kindergarten through to Grade 8.

Pizza Days for the month of February

This month pizza days will occur on February 6th, 14th, 21st and 28th. Round 4 of Pizza orders

started on January 24th. Cash Online for round 5 of ordering pizza will be open on February

14th to February 23rd for Pizza from February 28th to April 3rd. Pizza days are permitted at

Shaw Public School as families extend online permission through School Cash Online.

Pizza has been pre-ordered by students. Students who have not placed orders will not have

the option to purchase slices at school. Pizza will arrive for consumption during first nutrition break, so please pack snacks and water for your child that day. Thank you!

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Next School Council /Parent Engagement Meeting April 2nd, 2020

Our 3 part parenting workshop during January was a huge success. Thanks to

everyone that came out to join us!

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February is Black History Month

Shaw Public School puts the spotlight on Black Heritage

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the many contributions of Black Canadians and

Black communities throughout the world who, throughout history, have done so much to

make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous country we know today.

In December 1995, the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History

Month, following a motion introduced by the first Black Canadian woman elected to

Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine.

During Black History Month, schools across Peel will recognize and celebrate the rich

heritage, history, culture and contributions of Black Canadians as well as Black communities from around the world.

As a result of the impact of current labour action, recognition of Black History Month may

look different than it has in the past. Peel board schools will continue to integrate Black

history and culture in all curriculum areas throughout the year.

OFIP Tutoring

Students from grades 3, 4, and 6 are working hard and learning many skills in our OFIP tutoring sessions twice a week.

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Counting On You (COY)

Our Grade 7 and 8 students are having a fantastic time with hands on learning in our Counting on You program every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons! Some of our workshops include: Cooking, Coding, Knitting/Sewing and Gaming.

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Guidance News

EHS & Peel Learning Choices Programs

(RLCP Regional Programs)

RLCP Grade 8

This is a reminder that Grade 8 students who applied for Grade 9 Explore High Skills and

Regional Programs, are presently interviewing and/or auditioning or presenting their

portfolios in January. Applicants will hear about the First Round of acceptances in early

February, 2020 for all programs except the IB Regional Program who were informed in

December. The Second Round offers will occur one week later.

If your child is accepted into an Explore High Skills or Regional program offered at another

Secondary School in Peel, your child will move their course selections from Sandalwood to

their new School, and adjust them accordingly if need be. Look for information from the new

accepting Secondary School on how to switch Grade courses to their new school. If you are

having trouble changing these courses, have your child see Mrs. Shaw for assistance.

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RLCP Grades 5 & 6

Regional Program Applications for students presently in Grade 5, going into Grade 6,

opened online, January 27, 2020 at 8:30 am. Unfortunately all the Parent Information Nights

had to be cancelled due to the present Job action in Peel. However, online RCLP

applications will be accepted until Monday Feb 10, at 3:00 pm sharp. Please don’t wait

until the last day to register. Acceptances for these 7 Elementary Regional Programs in Peel

will be sent out in April of 2020.

Remember that transportation to these programs held at various Peel schools is the

responsibility of the parents. Often families will link up and car pool together. Grade 6

Regional Program First Round offers will be sent out in March 2020. As information is

always being updated, Please refer the website for the latest information on Regional

Programs at: http://www.peelschools.org/parents/programs/regional/Pages/default.aspx

Study Skills

All students in Grades 6, 7 & 8 have been working on Study Skills for greater academic

success. If you have not done so already, please help your child to find a quiet,

undistracted, regular work - space and time for homework. This can be challenge for some

families, but can be found with some reorganization. Your child has many tips on how to

organize their time and stay focused during homework time. Ask to see their handout with

ideas which should be posted by their workspace. Experiment with your child so that you

can find out what tips are most effective for your child. Knowing that you are interested in

their use of homework time helps to build student accountability as well.

Grade 8 Practice Interviews

Grade 8 students are presently completing an online Resume in MyBlueprint in Guidance.

This resume, is a baseline for our students to continue to modify, build upon and “tweak” for

any job they would like to apply for throughout their school career. The next step after

developing a resume is to create a cover letter aimed at securing a job position. Shaw

Grade 8 students will participate in a practice Interview process where your child will have

the opportunity to apply for a “fictional” entry-level job, participate in an interview with one of

Shaw staff and receive feedback on their performance. Students will be required to dress in

interview-appropriate clothing as though they were applying for an actual job. The students

enjoy this “competition” each year where one “Successful Candidate” for each job is finally

selected. Grade 8 students will soon be preparing and training for this experience. Please

support your child in developing this valuable life-skill.

Upcoming Intermediate Speaker Series:

March 5, 2020 - Skills Ontario – Grade 8

April 14, 2020- Constable Cavacuiti - Human Trafficking in Peel Gr. 7 & 8

See Guidance Bulletin Board outside the school office for Guidance updates.

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It's time to register children born in 2016 for kindergarten

We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student… and it all starts in kindergarten! If your

child was born in 2016, they can start kindergarten in September 2020. You can register your child

at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school they will be attending to register. Visit

www.peelschools.org/kindergarten for more information and to complete the kindergarten

registration package.

What you will need to bring to registration:

Proof of child's age (one of the following)

Canadian birth certificate Canadian passport citizenship card/certificate Permanent Resident Card confirmation of permanent residence work or study permit proof of newcomer status

Proof of address (one of the following)

utility bill bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution) credit card statement federal government forms (e.g. Service Canada, Ontario Works or Canada Post change

of address) purchase agreement Other Government Identification (e.g. Ontario Photo Card)

Please note that a driver's license cannot be accepted.

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

an alternate living arrangement.

Proof of immunization – students registering in an Ontario public school for the first time must provide proof of immunization.

Regional Learning Choices programs unlock passions

Regional Learning Choices Programs offered by the Peel District School Board empower students by

providing them with opportunities to develop and explore skills in a particular area of interest. Regional programs are open to all students who meet the criteria for acceptance.

Transportation is not provided for students in regional programs. If students have been accepted

into a regional program and they live within the school boundary, they are eligible for busing only if they meet the distance criteria outlined in the board’s Transportation Policy #39.

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All regional programs include annual fees, including a non-refundable $40 application fee.

Students and their families are encouraged to attend the information night for the program of

their choice to receive more information about the program and application details.

Important dates to note:

Applications open Applications close

ELEMENTARY Jan. 27, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 10, 2020 at 3 p.m.

SECONDARY Applications for secondary regional programs are closed

Programs Schools offered at

Starts in grade:

6 7 9

Actively in Motion (AIM) Royal Orchard MS

Advanced Placement Central Peel SS, John Fraser SS

Arts Earnscliffe Sr. PS (starts in grade 6), Queen Elizabeth Sr. PS (starts in grade 7), Cawthra Park SS, Mayfield SS

Arts and Technology Morning Star MS

Graphic Design Management T.L. Kennedy SS

International Baccalaureate Bristol Rd. MS, WG Davis Sr. PS, Erindale SS, Glenforest SS, Harold M. Brathwaite SS, Turner Fenton SS

International Business and

Technology

Allan A. Martin Sr. PS, Lisgar MS, Williams Pkwy Sr. PS,

Meadowvale SS, North Park SS, T.L. Kennedy SS

International and Executive

Leadership Academy

T.L. Kennedy SS

Regional Skilled Trades Judith Nyman (starting in September 2020), West Credit SS

SciTech Centennial Sr. PS, Macville PS, Tomken Rd. MS,

Chinguacousy SS, Port Credit SS

Sports Applewood Heights SS

Strings Central Peel SS, Port Credit SS

Transportation Engineering

and Technology

Bramalea SS

Shaw Eco Hawks

Shaw's EcoTeam volunteers continue to be hard at work during the school day! Our

Eco Recycling Team ensures that the recycling materials are collected within the school and sent to the curb in the large blue recycling bins. The Eco Green Bin team collects

green food waste (e.g., fruit and vegetable waste) from six classrooms weekly. This

team then cuts up the waste and feeds it to our school red wiggler worm bins! Compost from these bins will be spread in Shaw's gardens this spring! Our Eco Audit team gets together four

times a month to review classroom recycling and energy usage practices. The Eco Public Relations team works together to promote various Eco initiatives at Shaw.

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In February, Shaw will celebrate National Sweater Day to support wise

energy usage practices and conservation at our school. On this day,

students will be encouraged to wear their favourite sweater or hoodie as

we 'turn down the heat' for part of the day!

Report your child’s immunizations to the Region of Peel online

When registering for school for the first time, parents and guardians are required to provide up-to-

date immunization information for their children. This includes registering for kindergarten.

You can update your child’s immunizations online. The online immunization tool allows you to

attach a photo of the immunization record. When reporting online, an Ontario Health Card is

required.

Report immunizations online at: www.peelregion.ca/immunize

After you report your immunizations online you will be given a reference number. Keep this number

for your records. You will need to give this number to your child’s school when registering.

If you do not have online access or your child does not have an Ontario Health Card, take a copy of

the immunization record to the school. Make sure your child’s name and date of birth are visible on

the record.

Call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 if your child does not have an immunization record or if you

have any questions about immunization exemptions.

For more information, visit www.peelregion.ca/immunize

Peel Public Health shares tips to help prevent the flu

Its flu season and we want to make sure students stay as healthy as possible this year!

Influenza (flu) spreads easily from one person to another and Peel Public Health has some tips to help reduce the risk of catching the flu and spreading it:

Get your annual flu shot: The flu shot is your best defense against the flu. There are

many locations across Peel where you can get your flu shots:

Family Doctors’ offices

Walk-in clinics

Pharmacies

Peel flu clinics

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Keep children home when they’re sick: If your child develops flu-like signs and

symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue), keep

them home from school. Contact your health care provider if symptoms are severe.

Practice good hygiene: Help your child get into the habit of covering their nose and

mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and throw tissues in the trash.

Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, if they don’t have a tissue. They should also

avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. This is how germs are spread.

Wash your hands: Encourage your child to wash their hands often with soap and

water or use hand sanitizer, especially after they cough or sneeze.

For more information, call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.

“Getting Through Long Winter Months- How to Stay Connected and

Feel Hope for Spring”

From the PDSB Mental Health Resource Team

It’s February! We are another month closer to spring. Yet with February being the shortest month of the year, it can often feel like the longest, with days feeling more dark and gloomy. As parents, we often put ourselves last, but what if we use February as a time to focus on small ways we can take time for ourselves for self-care? Here are a few tips on how to bridge the winter hurdle of February and embrace connection and hope for Spring. Stay connected with nature and maximize daylight exposure: Bundle up and spend time outside and take advantage of natural light whenever you can. Go for a walk, park your car a little further away to maximize time outside, get off at a transit stop early, track your walking mileage, if you have a dog, try a take the dog on a new route or stay out a little longer, or help someone with limited mobility and offer to walk their dog.

If you have limited mobility “staying active helps you: have some control over what you do: Focus on what you can do—not on what you can’t; have more energy and strength to do things for yourself “ (from myhealth.alberta.ca Staying Active with Limited Mobility).

Stay connected socially: Reach out to family and friends- by phone or in person- make a plan to spend time together over the Family Day Weekend. Go for coffee, go somewhere new you haven’t been before, call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, help someone out. Staying connected to our social relationships boosts our mood. Try a new activity (outside or inside) with your child or adolescent that does not involve technology!

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A final note in relation to keeping current with world events. While it is important to stay current, we are bombarded with the same messages and graphic images by all forms of media which takes a toll on our mental health. Be mindful that young ears are listening and watching and they may not voice any fears they may be experiencing. Try and limit your media time, reassure your child/teen (and yourself!) there is lots of good in the world, and check in to see if they have any questions or worries about current events.

If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, or have questions about how to talk to your child about difficult topics, visit bit.ly/SupportingChildrensMH for further information and links to school and community resources. For updates and to follow along with the work of the PDSB Mental Health Resource Team, find them on Twitter @MHRTPeel.

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 Shaw Public School, 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, you must complete a short interview and a criminal background check. A criminal 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 record check.

Once you have completed the process, you are on file with the Peel District School Board as being a school volunteer. All returning volunteers will receive an Offence Declaration form that must be filled out and returned to the board office each year. Completing the Offence Declaration will ensure that you can continue volunteering in the next school year. Forms will be mailed home in February.

Bus cancellation and closing schools due to bad weather

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement

weather.

Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio, television

stations and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at

www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org, Twitter @STOPRinfo and www.stopr.ca or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

One of the following messages will be announced:

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Peel District School Board buses are cancelled

This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus

cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All

activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will operate as usual.

All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed

This means that all schools and Peel board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits.

All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled

This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled

This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing

education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

Coming Soon to Shaw P.S.

In February we have an exciting in school experience for all our students! We will be

welcoming Denise Wild’s Sewing Studio to Shaw for a one of a kind sewing program

focusing on mentorship, confidence, inclusion and equity, for all our students. The program

will take place from February 19th to the 21st. . The cost for this amazing program is

approximately $15.00 per student which included the cost of materials. Student will be able

to have a unique handmade creation which they can bring home! Please go to Cash on Line

for payment details!

Press control key and click on the link to see the flyer;

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xrty6phy4pt143y/Sewing%20Studio%20parent%20sheet%202019.pdf?dl=0%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank