Principal’s Message

March is upon us and what a roller coaster ride it has been. I am sure that everyone will be happy to see an end to the bitterly cold temperatures of January and February. Even if we still have a few more cold days, Spring is just around the corner. I for one certainly hope it makes an early appearance.

I was very pleased to see the number of students who received the caring award during our Grade 2 assembly on Friday. Student participation in our Future Aces and Character Traits program is key to our programming at Northwood. Thank you to our Grade 2 classes for their wonderful presentation. It certainly makes students; teachers and parents feel proud to know that we have people who care about each other.

I would like to thank the parents who come through our Kiss'n'Ride lanes every morning and we hope it helps to put a smile on your face. We realize that some mornings traffic congestion causes our lines to move a little slower, but we do appreciate your patience and your expert driving skills as you slowly and safely navigate through our driving lanes.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT TO BE DROPPED OFF AT SCHOOL PRIOR TO 8:25 a.m.

We would also like to thank all of our parents who are regularly using the attendance line to let us know when your child will be away.

While we are focusing on safety and respect all the time, we are also committed to providing our students with programs that are engaging and full of rich tasks. We continue to expand our technology within the school and are striving to have all of the students become resourceful and independent learners.

Parents and guardians, if you would be interested in hearing more about Grade 3 EQAO testing, please give us a call at the school. When you call you will be asked to indicate a time preference for this information session. Please let us know by March 12th. Once we have reviewed the responses we will announce when the information session for Grade 3 testing 2015 will be held.

From March 16th to 20th we hope everyone has a happy, safe March break!

Northwood News

PHONE NUMBERS

NORTHWOOD 905-451-6464

PRINCIPAL: D.BARLOW X401

VICE-PRINCIPAL: S.ROFAIEL X402

OFFICE MANAGER: U.FELICIO X400

Principal’s Message 1

Great Things Happening at Northwood 2

Jack Smythe trip, CBC Kite Festival, Parent Council News 3

Unique Symposium, Numeracy Conference, FSL Positions 4

Using Social Media Safely 5

Future Aces for February 6

Inside this issue:

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March newsletter

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Inside Story Headline

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Great Things Happening at Northwood

Cultural Awareness at Northwood

Students have been learning about history, culture & traditions during the month of February.

For Black History Month, students engaged in various programs that promote awareness and understanding of key themes. Readings and text responses, media presentations and book talks encouraged students to challenge their own understandings and those of their peers.

For Chinese New Year, students created a zodiac mural in the front foyer that engaged passers by (students and staff alike) to check their signs and reflect on the information. The grade 4s also created intricately designed dragon paintings and posted them outside their classrooms for everyone to enjoy.

Red, White, & Pink Day Hearts, Valentines, and love notes appeared in every nook and cranny. Daily announcements highlighted the Future Ace Character Trait of the month—that of ‘Caring’. Everyone worked extra hard to show kindness and care. Future Ace mini alerts named students whose random acts of kindness stood out and were deemed worthy of recognition on the PA system by a staff member. The Character Trait Assembly focus was also on caring. Valentine’s Day 2015 was a great success.

M AR CH NE WS LE TT ER Page 3

Visit the Maple Syrup Sugar Bush at Jack Smythe Field Centre

Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as spring blossoms. The Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional

family experience with a visit to its Maple Syrup Sugar Bush. The March Break program runs from Wed., March

18, to Sat., March 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Sugar Bush program has been established for more than 15 years and provides families with an educational

activity and a hands-on experience. The program is run by Peel District School Board teachers and staff during

March Break.

Families are invited to get involved as spring comes to life in the following activities:

help tap trees and empty sap buckets

sample some freshly made maple syrup

hike along our trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand

learn how pioneers collected and produced syrup compared to modern-day operations

visit the sugar shack where the sap boils and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of the chimney

The cost is $5/adult and $4/child 12 and under (cash only). Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot

chocolate, cookies and hot dogs for you to roast over an open fire.

Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta:

North on Mississauga Road, left on King Street (you will see Credit View Public School on your left), right on

Winston Churchill Boulevard (you must pass Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) and proceed to the top of

the hill and left into the Jack Smythe site.

For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771.

For more information on the event and Kids’

CBC, visit www.cbc.ca/parents.

This free family event will feature an ex-

citing day full of fun for kids as they make

kites, rangoli designs, spin tops, hear

South Asian stories and enjoy a digital

gaming zone and more. They will also

Saturday March 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Mississauga Central Library

301 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga

Sunday March 22, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Bramalea City Centre 25 Peel Centre Drive, Brampto

Kids’ CBC hosts a free family

kite festival event on March 21

& 22

A Message from Parent Council

Fundraising is one of the many functions of parent

council. All the money raised goes directly to

Northwood to benefit the students.

Upcoming Events:

Spring Cookies Sale—March 30, 31, & April 2

Community Garage Sale—June 6th (save the

date, & stay tuned for more info re booking tables)

We invite parents/guardians to join us for meet-

ings whenever your schedule allows. Meetings

begin at 6:00pm in the Library on the following

dates: April 21, May 19

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Conference helps parents make a difference in numeracy and beyond

Unique Symposium Addresses the needs of Families of Children

with Special Needs

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This free family event is being held at West Credit Secondary School during the afternoon of April 18th.

Agencies such as Peel Children’s Centre, Erinoak, MotherRisk, CCAC will be in attendance as well as

presenters that will address the social/emotional and behavioural needs of unique children. Parents will

have the opportunity to ask psychiatrists, social workers, speech and language and behavioural special-

ists, questions about community resources and network with other parents. There is limited babysit-

ting available.

This free event is open to parents of all grade levels. Please speak to your school administrator for a reg-

istration form or e-mail trelawny.ps@peelsb.com or call 905-824-0360 ext 402.

The Peel District School Board is hosting its annual parent conference on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at Fletcher’s

Meadow Secondary School in Brampton. This year, Numeracy & Beyond: Parent Conference, will focus on numer-

acy—25 out of 60 workshops help with math. Parents will still have the opportunity to attend workshops on other

topics, including literacy, special education and science.

This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels.

Space is limited. Registration closes March 27.

Stay up-to-date!

For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.

Apply for a position on the board's French as a Second Language

Advisory Committee

The Peel District School Board is currently seeking parent members for its first French as a Second Language Advi-

sory committee. The committee will meet three to four times during the school year to provide input and feedback in

an advisory capacity to the board regarding the development and implementation of French programs and initiatives.

We are now in the process of inviting parents to apply for eight available positions on the committee.

Members will be selected based on the following criteria:

demonstrates a keen interest in public education and French as a Second Language programs

understands the importance of parent, family and community engagement

has experience working with French language/cultural organizations

demonstrates advocacy and community development skills

has a present level of involvement in the education system

reflects the diversity of the community

If interested, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/involved/french for an application and more details.

V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 1

With the growing number of social media sites, it is no surprise that social media is the most common form of commu-

nication for children and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads, tweets and texts

have become a regular part of their lives. While there are many positive benefits to using social media, including stay-

ing connected with friends and expressing your interests, students must be cautious in their use of these networks.

Among the most popular social media platforms used are Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, WeChat, Vine and

Kik Messenger. Many of these platforms are free and are available on smartphones and other electronic devices. These

platforms are easy to navigate and often allow information to be shared instantly, not only with friends, but with

strangers. On social media, it is important to remember that the world is watching.

Here are some tips, provided by the Canadian Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to keep your children safe

and help them make smart choices when using social media:

Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games

console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the way they use it or the settings.

Have a conversation about what is appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge repercussions

that could damage their reputation and be harmful to others.

Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they come across

something they find worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.

Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments, photos and

videos all form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available on the internet forever,

even if it is subsequently deleted.

Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection, and that they shouldn’t do

anything online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Users should only accept people they know in order to pro-

tect themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using social networking sites to commit

crimes.

Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually ‘talking’

to online, even if they think they do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text with strangers, and

it’s never okay to meet a stranger in the real world.

Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn how privacy settings work

on your children’s favourite sites, and teach them how to control their privacy.

Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes, but is not

limited to, his or her full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance number, credit card in-

formation and parents’ full names.

Limit the amount of time that your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the importance of

healthy and appropriate use of technology.

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Using social media safely

Page 6

Future Aces for February— Caring

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Kindergarten

KFI: Tristan D., Mannat G., Gabriella J., Daya M., Adriana B.

KF2: Nandika B., Jalyhsa T., Katana J., Lana M.

KF3: Makayla B., Reece M.,

KF4: Ayaan B., Reet S., Kadya R.

KF5: Alban A., Radya H., Jaiden R., Sumaiya

KF6: Yuvraj G., Aimee M., Carnell H., Jordan U.

Grade 1

Ms. Gleasure: Aizat G., Marissa R.

Ms. Fujimoto: Ashton C., Jessica P.

Ms. Sandhu: Arian A., Samantha B., Anh Mai N., Yuvraj R., Chariyah S.

Grade 2

Ms. Douglas: Maya B., Harmand T.

Ms. Mantziounis: Kalab G., Kiara P.

Ms. Purdy: Lorraine M., Shiloh M.

Grade 3

Ms. Bozzelli: Kayleigh A., Vinay R., Sachleen R.

Ms. Waliczek: Maximus A., Jaelen B., Jameer H., Josiah M., Shann

Grade 4

Ms. Castellarin: Zachary S., Mikayla M., Mya L.

Ms. Daley: Karndeep C., Fredericka M., Syeira P., Anish S.

Ms. Marnoch: Brooklyn H., Laura M., Abhi S., Jiya S., Dylan V.

Grade 5

Mr. Arseneau: Marco C., Arsh M., Matt W.

Mr. Jones: Tulika B., Tayla B., Kaitlyn F., Tazia G., Raidon H., Aaren S.

Mr. Lucko: Lisa C., Ethan R.