Balmoral Drive

November

In This Issue

• Nov. 4th – Immunization Day

• Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day Assembly

• Nov.17th – Parent/teacher interviews (evening)

• Nov. 18th – P.D. Day. Parent/teacher interviews

(no school)

Dear Balmoral families, The Elementary Progress Report Card is an important method of communication with parents. Your child’s Progress Report Card will be sent home on November 11th. The Elementary Progress Report Card is only one aspect of ongoing communication between home and school. As always, we encourage you to discuss your child’s progress with their teachers. They are available to respond, either through a parent-teacher conference at the school or by phone, to any specific questions about the information in your child’s Progress Report Card. The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. You can help boost learning by visiting the “Parents—Help Your Child” section of the Peel board’s website at www.peelschools.org. There you can download a wide variety of activities and tip sheets available in 40 languages. Thank you for your continued interest and involvement in education. We look forward to working with you to ensure your child’s success.

B A L M O R A L D R I V E S R . P . S .

Soon, current grade 8 students will select their courses for grade 9. Before they

do, we want to ensure that they have the opportunity to consult with their teachers,

guidance counsellor, if applicable, and their parents.

As our partners, families are encouraged to help prepare their teens for course selection. We encourage

you to become familiar with the process by creating a myBlueprint account. Every parent and student

(grades 7-12) can have access to myBlueprint features such as:

• High School – plan courses, track progress toward graduation, and instantly identify post-secondary

eligibility for opportunities in every pathway

• Post-Secondary– compare detailed information on apprenticeships, college programs, university

programs and workplace sectors

• Who Am I – complete surveys (including Learning Styles, Myers-Briggs Personality, Holland

Interests, Knowledge, Motivations, and Compatibility)

• Portfolios – create several portfolios (e.g. Career Portfolio) and share them with parents, teachers, or

future employers. It’s simple to add work you have completed in myBlueprint or add pictures and

videos

• Job Search – find real-world job and volunteering postings that relate to occupations of interest

• Goals – add interactive SMART goals and action plans

• Resumes & Cover Letters – record experiences, build a resume, write a cover letter

• Occupations – compare comprehensive information on occupations

• Money – build a budget to track income and expenses

Additionally, parents/guardians and students can review the Chart Your Course document , Peel District

School Board’s common course calendar (found at www.makingmyway.ca). This guide will help you

understand the course selection process and provide information on the courses and programs offered in

Peel secondary schools.

The grade 9 course selection process will be open from Nov. 14 to Dec.2, 2016. If you have questions or

are looking for course suggestions, please contact your teen’s teachers or guidance counsellor.

Getting Ready for Grade 9

Balmoral Dr. Sr. P.S. 233 Balmoral Dr. Brampton, ON L6T 1V5 p. 905.793.6070 f. 905.793.2665

Peel District School Board 905-890-1099 www.peel.edu.on.ca

Principal: Heather Marlborough Acting Vice-Principal: Marilyn Train Trustees: Carrie Andrew Kathy McDonald

N O V E M B E R N E W S L E T T E R

Hey Balmoral Students and Family Members! The Book Fair is once again coming to our school from November 14th until the 22nd. There will be all new fiction and non-fiction books for you to check out and buy! Students will have an opportunity to preview the books on the Monday and Tuesday and then purchase on Wednesday the 16th until the following Tuesday the 22nd. Classes will sign up to come and buy some books. The Book Fair will also be open during the Parent Interview night, November 17th and in the morning of the PA Day, November 18th. Our book fair is a great way to buy books as well as invest in our library, as a portion of the sales goes into buying new items for the Library. It's also a good way to find gifts for our students or family members who love reading, or might enjoy the latest book in a series.

Bookfair Nov. 14th – 22nd

Nov 14th – 22nd

Student Success Corner

B A L M O R A L D R I V E S R . P . S .

Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio and television stations listed below and posted at www.peelschools.org, school websites and www.stopr.ca. Information will also be available on Twitter (@Peelschools), Facebook (www.facebook.com/peelschools) or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146. Select radio station will announce one of the following messages (highlighted text only): 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 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 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 Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

Can we say winter is almost here? It is certainly starting to feel that way. Balmoral staff are always concerned about the welfare of their students. Please ensure that your children are adequately dressed for the cold weather. We serve well balanced breakfast each day, however, we would like to encourage all the students to have snacks and lunches before they head out of the door. Every single day we have to find something nutritious for some students to eat because they have nothing to eat for lunch. Many research studies have shown that healthy eating and studying are linked . As we all try to be advocates for healthy eating, let’s encourage our students to bring a nutritious snack and lunch to school. Which will help their brains function well. We would like to see ALL our students getting adequate nutrition, but would like to keep the handouts to a minimum. As a school, we continue to encourage our students to explore different ways they can answer math word problems, and be ready to explain how they got their answer, with the emphasis on the mathematical process. Please remind your children to read at least an hour a day and have fun with math daily at home, linking math concepts learned at school to real life experiences. For example, calculating sales taxes when they make a purchase, or measuring the volume of a cereal box. At Balmoral we have a growth mindset that math is cool!

Winter Cancellations & Closures

Terry Fox fundraising ended on a high note with our Terry Fox Assembly and run taking place on Thursday,

October 6th. Balmoral raised $1171.70 for the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research. During the

assembly, some teacher volunteers let students who had fundraised the most money throw pies in their faces. It was very funny when Mr. Reilly got pied, as he requested Beeferoni in one of his pies, that he later ate with a fork. Mme. Hamilton, Ms. Simms and Mr. VanSickle were all very good sports who got pied for a great cause. After this, the students headed outside for their run, which involved running laps around the school. There were prizes for top laps run, as well as top fundraising classes and top boy and girl fundraisers in the school. Ms. Foote, who pledged to wear her dog costume if everyone in the school brought in a toonie, completed the run as a mascot despite the warm temperature. Our run capped off some good weeks of fundraising, including mehndi henna tattoos done by students to raise money, as well as a students and staff dodge ball game where students brought a loonie to support a great cause. Dodge ball was officiated by Mme. Hamilton and everyone had a great time. We look forward to next year!

If your child will be starting grade 7 in September 2017, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to apply for the Extended French (EF) program. What is the program like? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the program? One way to help answer these questions is to attend the information meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 at 7 p.m. at the EF school your child would attend. To find out the EF school your child would attend: visit our website www.peelschools.org/French call the school in your area call 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146 ext. 2212 Online application The application form for Grade 7 EF for the 2017-18 school year will be available online at www.peelschools.org/French on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 at 1 p.m. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 at 4 p.m. Applications received after that date will be put on a waiting list. Important dates Information meeting - Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 at 7 p.m. Application process opens - Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 at 1 p.m. Application deadline - Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 at 4 p.m. For more information visit www.peelschools.org/French call your nearest Extended French school talk with parents who have children in the Extended French program visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca

Is Extended French right for my child?

Janet Ochran