Principal’s Message

Pleasantville P.S.

400 Mill Street

Richmond Hill, Ontario

L4C 4B9

School Website:

http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/

pleasantville.ps

School Phone Number:

905-884-7431

Principal:

Shari Elms

Superintendent of

Education:

Michael Cohen

905-884-4477

School Office Assistants:

Mary Del Plavignano

Suzy Pappas

Pleasantville Public School

Dear Parents & Guardians,

It is hard to believe that it is already April and that we are in the 8th month of the

school year! Throughout the month of April there will be a variety of extra curricular

activities available for students to participate in each week, such as Craft Club, ECO

Team, H-A-P-P-Y Team, Track & Field Training, Basketball, Band Practice, Lunch Time

Board Games and Fit Spirit. Thank you to all staff for their dedication and contributions

to ensure that our students have educational opportunities that include academics and

extra curricular activities.

Although we continue to focus our efforts for this school year on supporting our stu-

dents to achieve academic and social success, some initial planning is already underway

for the 2016/2017 school year! Attached to this newsletter is a one page form for par-

ents to provide any necessary input in order for the school to make informed decisions

regarding each child’s placement for next year. Please submit these forms to the main

office by May 2.

Yours in education,

Shari Elms, Principal

April 2016

Important Dates

April 4 School Council

Meeting 6:30pm

April 4 Spirit Day

April 7 Family Fit Night

April 8 Cultural Spirit Day

April 19 Gr. 4-8 Theatrical

Performance

April 22 Community Clean Up

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism awareness month. To celebrate Autism and further bring

awareness and acceptance to our school community, Ms. Tetro’s students

will be selling "Light it Up Blue Autism Awareness" buttons that the commu-

nity class have coloured and assembled. A donation of $2 or more would

be appreciated and the funds raised will be donated to Autism Ontario -

York Region Chapter. On Monday, April 4th we will have a Spirit Day: “Light

it Up Blue Day”. Staff and students are encouraged to wear blue to show

their support and acceptance of Autism.

Staff Appreciation Luncheon Pleasantville School Council is happy to announce the annual Staff Appreciation potluck luncheon; a small “thank

you” to all staff for making our children’s time at Pleasantville memorable. The luncheon will take place on Thurs-

day, May 5th. At this time we are seeking the following contributions to ensure a successful event:

1. Volunteers - to help with set up, teardown/cleanup – shifts will be assigned based on your availability.

2. Food Donations – Looking for appetizers/mains/sides/desserts. Please email the address below to identify

what you can contribute along with the recipe that can be shared with staff. Food contributions to be

dropped off the morning of May 5th. A signup sheet will also be located in the main office. Please note

ALL items must be nut free.

3. Monetary Donations – To cover food/drinks/supplies for the event.

If you are can assist with any of the above, please contact Emily Joyce (emilyjoyce@rogers.com) or Sharon Petersil

(sharonpetersil@hotmail.com). Please respond by April 28th, 2016.

Thank you in advance for your support in making this event a big success.

Our planning for the June 1 Pleasantville Public School Annual BBQ and Fun Fair is well under way. At this time,

we are starting to gather raffle items. Past experience has shown that electronics, event tickets (dated after June 1),

signed memorabilia, and gift cards are most popular. If you have anything to contribute to the 2016 PPS BBQ

raffle, please drop it off in the main office at your earliest convenience where a selection of prizes will be

placed on display.

If you have any questions about a contribution, please contact Loren Thorburn at l.thorburn@sympatico.ca.

Thank you for helping to make this year’s raffle a success!

Request for Raffle Items

Thank You Pleasantville for Supporting Us for WaterAid !

Ms. Walker-Rosewood’s class would like to send out a big thank you to the Pleasantville com-

munity for supporting us in our efforts to raise awareness and money for WaterAid Canada.

Through our campaign, we raised $866.00 to help bring clean water and sanitation to different

developing countries.

We learned we could make a difference in our world by working together to make keyhats, announce-

ments and advertising our concerns. Thank you also to the primary students who inspired us to make

creative keyhats with themes like Stars Wars, Minions and Winter.

A special thanks goes out to our parents who supported us with some big donations and encouraged us

to have passion about what we were doing for others.

Track and Field Training Begins Wednesday April 6th

As the weather shows signs of getting warmer, training for track and field begins. Start-

ing Wednesday April 6th, we will begin circuit training for our track events on Wednes-

days and Fridays at 7:45 am. Teachers and parent volunteers, (Tania Jones and Nadine

Powell) will coach students in Grades 4 to 8 to improve their cardio and running skills in

preparation for the Pleasantville Track and Field Day on Wednesday May 18 (Rain date:

May 19th) and the Area Event on June 15th.

This training is open to all Junior/Intermediate students and is run like a club. Those

interested should sign up outside the gym door on the bulletin board.

Students should wear layers, running shoes and bring a hat and gloves for the cool April

mornings. A water bottle is also recommended.

Thanks, Ms. Walker-Rosewood and Mr. Blair

Visiting the McMicheal Art Gallery☺ By Anton and Gianmarco, Room 102

On March, 10th, the students in Mrs. Reingolds’ and Ms. Shaw’s class visited the McMichael Art                               Gallery in Kleinburg. We saw many examples of Canadian art, including the Group of Seven.                             This helped us to learn more about the country we live in as we begin our Social Studies unit on                                       Canada. In the morning, we learned about watercolour techniques and designing landscapes.                       Inspired by the work of the Group of Seven, we created our own landscape paintings. We hope                                 to bring these paintings home soon to share with our families. The artwork all look so different                                 and great! It was a fun trip and everyone should visit the gallery sometime.                         

  

 

EQAO

In the month of May and June, students in grades 3 and 6 undergo a set of Ministry of Education as-

sessments in reading, writing and mathematics. During these months, students in grades 3 and 6 will

participate in province wide EQAO testing. These assessments provide beneficial information for the

government, teachers, students, and parents on the achievement levels of students in Ontario. They

also provide valuable information for improving student learning and can enhance instructional plan-

ning.

It is very important that all students in these grades are available to write the tests. This year, EQAO

testing will run between May 30 and June 8, 2016. This year, the Grade 6 students will be writing EQAO

May 30, May 31, June 1 and June 2 and the Grade 3 students will be writing EQAO June 2, June 6, June

7 and June 8.

We ask that you do not schedule appointments for your child during this time so we can minimize

disruptions and distractions as well as avoid any makeup sessions for students. Absent students are

recorded in our scores and can skew the results. Thank you in advance for your coop-

eration.

Additional information about the EQAO tests is available at www.eqao.com. Parents

of children in Grades 3 & 6 will soon receive more information.

Family Board Game Night

Thank you to all families that took time out of their busy schedules to attend Pleasantville’s 3rd Annual Lunch

Time Family Board Game Night. It was amazing to see so many students, parents and staff enjoying time together

playing games. A great big thank you to Ms. Tuchow for all of her hard work leading this event. Thank you also to

Mrs. Elms, Ms. Dias, Ms. Gold, Ms. Isit, Ms. LaForge, Ms. Levy, Ms. Naccarato, Ms. Shaw, Ms. Walker-

Rosewood, Ms. Latimer & Ms. McFee for their support organizing and assisting with this event. Thank you also

to parent volunteers Loren Thorburn and Bita Rufatti for volunteering to support Lunch Time Board Games. This

fun-filled family night brings an end to Lunchtime Board Games for the year. We hope all have enjoyed learning,

laughing and playing with friends and we hope to see you next year as we continue our gaming tradition!

2016 Clean Up, Green Up Event–– April 22  

______________________________________________________________     On Friday, April 22, the staff and students of Pleasantville will be participating in the Town of                                 Richmond Hill’s “Clean Up, Green Up Event”. It’s time for the community’s annual spring cleaning                             and we’re inviting everyone to help clean up our Town. Throughout the week of April 17 to April 23                                     various community groups and individuals will come together to help clean up parks, open spaces,                             boulevards and other public lands by picking up litter that has accumulated over the winter. The Town                                 staff will provide garbage bags and gloves, and arrange for collection of the litter. Classes will be                                 given designated areas for picking up litter and the classroom teacher will determine a suitable time                               during the day to participate in the clean up.      

  We look forward to your participation. Together we can build a more sustainable community. 

   

Dear Parents & Students,

I am excited to inform you that we have our own Pleasantville Spirit Wear Online Shop. Follow the link below:

http://pleasantvilleps.entripyshops.com

Once you’ve followed the link to the official Pleasantville Public School shop you will be able to enjoy browsing a wide selection of products from a variety of brands that you can then customize with the approved logos and graphics found on the site. Display your pride in fantastic apparel customized entirely by you. Our site lets students, parents, fans and staff choose from approved merchandise to fit their needs with no minimum order quantities.

If you would like to order items you will need to create a login. Once you have created a login you can customize apparel and order a variety of items that will be shipped directly to your home at no additional charge. Items are purchased online so no forms or fees will need to be submitted to the school. Happy Shopping! Mrs. Elms Principal

2016-2017 Pleasantville P.S. Class Placement Input Form

Much of the planning for the new school year has already begun! We are currently discussing organizational structures, special education

delivery models, teaching assignments and timetabling. One of the most important tasks that will begin in May is the placement of students

into new classes for September.

Homeroom teachers in consultation with receiving teachers, appropriate support staff and school administration devote much discussion time

to the generation of classes that strive to best meet the needs of all of our students. Class placement is a complex process that takes many

hours of thought and discussion.

Decisions are made following careful consideration of a number of criteria: balance of student abilities, interests and talents, gender

balance, class size (consistent with Board and Ministry guidelines), learning style, learning partners and social factors. While friendship

issues can play a role in the comfort level of some students, at particular developmental stages some friends learn best in separate classes.

Often parents have new and/or important information to share about their child which lends assistance to class placement decisions. Recent

medical diagnoses, significant negative peer relationships that exist outside the school’s awareness or significant individual/ family issues

that may impact learning are items of information which are appreciated prior to the placement process. Parent input that is received in

writing by administration prior to May 2 will be considered (and shared) during placement meetings. Please avoid naming a teacher as

staffing can vary. Input after May 2 will not be considered due to the complexity of the task. Please be advised that while such input is

valued it cannot drive class placement decisions since school-wide limitations and a variety of other factors will, at times, take precedence.

Final decisions regarding student placements remain the responsibility of the Principal and the school staff. Ministry mandates on class size

will impact class placements into September. As a result, we will, regretfully, be unable to share class placement information with families

until school opening. Thank you for partnering with us for this very important task.

2016-2017 Class Placements

Class placement input must be in writing and forwarded to the principal before May 2, 2016.

Name of Student: ______________________________________ Grade in 2016-17: ______________________

Please include an explanation in the following areas:

1. Positive Social Relationships (students who work well with our child).

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Students with whom she/he does not interact positively.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Learning style (independent, small group, need for teacher direction…)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Student interests (sports, arts, reading….)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Other Considerations (e.g. special education, ELL, medical, social/emotional…..)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Parent Signature: _______________________________________________________

Library News (April 2016) The Forest of Reading program is underway and the deadline for reading books is soon approaching!!!

What is the Forest of Reading Program?

The Forest of Reading Program is Canada’s largest recreational reading program. The Ontario Library Association (OLA) offers reading programs to encourage the love of reading in students of all ages. The book selection features Canadian authors and illustrators. All books are available to be signed out from the school library.

Blue Spruce Award:

This reading program brings recently published Canadian children’s picture books to students in Kindergarten to Grade 2. All classes will participate in read-alouds of all 10 nominated titles. After all of the titles have been read, students vote for the book that they liked the most.

Silver Birch Award:

Silver Birch Express: This list of 10 nominated titles is for interested students in grades 3-4. Students who participate in this program must read a minimum of 5 books to complete the program and qualify to vote for their favourite book.

Silver Birch Fiction and Non-Fiction: This list of 20 titles (10 fiction, 10 non-fiction) is an optional program for students in grades 5-6. Students may choose to read at least 5 books from each category to meet the requirements of the program and qualify to vote for their favourite books.

Red Maple Award:

This program is for students in grades 7-8. Students who wish to participate in this program must choose to read at least 5 of the nominated books to meet the requirements of the program and qualify to vote for their favourite book.

When and How do Readers Vote? If students read all of the titles that are nominated, their vote will be the most informed. However, the rule states that if five titles are read from a list, the reader qualifies to vote for that Award. Voting will take place at school during the last week of April. Winning titles will be announced in the school once they become available in May. For more information about OLA’s Forest of Reading Program, please visit: www.accessola.com/forest

Board Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures govern the operation of the Board and our school. To ensure they remain current, the Board

reviews policies and procedures on a regular cycle. Seeking feedback from staff and community members, includ-

ing parents/guardians, is an important part of the review process.

All policies available for comment are posted on the Board website along with information about how to provide

feedback. The policies currently available for comment include:

Student Accommodation Review (comments due by April 25)

Anaphylactic Reactions (comments due by August 25)

Respectful Workplace and Learning Environment (comments due by August 25)

Environmental Responsibility (comments due by January 2, 2017)

Appointment of Community Members to Board Committees (comments due by January 2, 2017)

MUSIC MONDAY is Almost Here!

On Monday May 2, communities across Canada will be celebrating music education in our schools. At

Pleasantville, we will be recognizing this day with a school wide concert in the gym. Please note, in order

to ensure we meet fire code regulations for the gym and to safely accommodate everyone, we ask that

family members who have students in EVEN numbered classes (Grades 2, 4, 6, 8) attend the 9:15am

morning presentation and family members with children in ODD numbered classes (Grades JK/SK, 1, 3,

5, 7) attend the 1:45pm afternoon presentation.

Students in the following classes will be part of the performance: Ms. Anantram, Ms. Gold, Mrs. Rein-

gold, Ms. Shaw, Ms. Ball, Mr. Kirsh, Ms. Davis, Mr. Blair, Ms. Edward, Mr. Celetti as well as the Band

and Drama Club.

At the end of the concert, everyone in attendance will be asked to "fill the sky with music" by coming to-

gether to sing the Music Monday anthem, "We Are One". Visit www.musicmonday.ca to access the song

and find out more about this special day. We hope to see you there!

Additional Elementary and Secondary P.A. Days

As a result of provincial labour negotiations, a P.A. Day has been added for all York Region Dis-

trict School Board Secondary Schools on Friday, May 6, 2016 and Elementary Schools on

Friday, June 3, 2016. You can see the full updated school year calendars on YRDSB’s website.

These additional P.A. Days are mandated by the Ministry of Education. On these dates, teachers

will be taking part in professional development on provincial education priorities identified by the

Ministry of Education.

Will you be moving? Please let us know.

We have already begun initial planning for the 2016/2017 school year. We are in the process of pro-

jecting the number of students that will be attending Pleasantville next year. In order to help us in this

process, we ask you to inform the office if you will be moving. If possible please provide a forwarding

address and the name of the school.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school year has already begun. Registration forms are avail-

able on YRDSB’s website: www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. Children who turn four or five years old during 2016

and live within the school boundary and whose parents are public school tax supporters will be eligible

to register for kindergarten. A kindergarten information session for parents is being planned for this

spring. For more information please visit the YRDSB website or contact your local school. You will

need to bring your child’s birth certificate or passport and a tax bill to register

(proof of residence) as well as one other piece of identification.

Mr. Sub Lunch Our Sub Lunch Program i s going qu ite wel l . Than k you to a l l fami l ies that h ave sup-ported th is fundrais ing in i t iat ive . The money ra i sed f rom Su b Lunches wi l l he lp to support the cost s associated with Grad e 8 Gradu at ion .

Sub Lunch Dates

Apr. 5th, Apr. 12th, Apr. 19th.

Pizza Lunch

Thank you for your participation in the Pizza Lunch Fundraising Program.

If you can volunteer and dedicate about an hour of your time on Pizza Days, please contact Bita Izad-parast @ realbita@yahoo.com

Pizza Lunch Dates

Apr. 1st, Apr. 15th, Apr. 22nd,

May 13th, May 20th,

Jun. 10th, Jun. 17th.

School Visitors

All visitors to the school are reminded that they are to sign in at the office when they arrive. We ask visi-

tors to wait in the office. This will keep our hallways clear and free from distractions during instruc-

tional time. This allows us to maintain a safe environment and one that keeps distractions to a minimum.

Parents are also reminded that they should not be visiting with their child on school property during re-

cess times. If items need to be dropped off to your child, please bring them to the office and our office

staff will assist you. This will help to keep all children safe.

School Property

It is important for all students and parents to understand:

· The school administration has the right to search school property, such as lockers and desks, without

notice or permission.

· Police may be invited onto school premises to conduct a search. These searches may be conducted

without notice or permission of any member of the school community other than the school principal.

Student Safety at Lunch Time

As always, it is our intent to provide a safe and secure environment in which your children

can learn. For this reason we have put a number of safety precautions in place. To assist

us in our efforts we ask that you review some of your family’s expectations and safety

rules. It is important that you reinforce with your child that they may not leave the

school property without permission. If you decide to give your child permission to leave

the property for lunch, when normally you would expect them to remain at school, you must

send a note to the office each time they are to leave the property. Similarly, if your child

normally leaves school property for lunch and you decide to give them permission to stay at

school for lunch, you must send a note with your child to the office each time they are to

stay for lunch at school. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation to ensure

that all students are accounted for and safe during the lunch hour.

Let’s be Healthy

To keep our school healthy, please do not have your child attend school if he/she is ill.

Students must be fever free for 24 hours before they return to school.

PETS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY

A reminder to parents/guardians who take pets with them when walking their children to school:

• All dogs must be on a leash and kept outside the school.

Consider leaving your pets at home. Larger animals sometimes intimidate smaller children.

Please do not encourage children to pet or play with your pet.

Fenced in Kindergarten play areas are off limits to pets.

Excrement must be removed by pet owners.

Owners are responsible for the behaviour of their pet while on school property.

Please help keep our property safe, clean and healthy.

Appropriate Clothing for the Weather

This is a reminder that all students are required to go outside twice a day. Please make sure your

child comes to school dressed to go outdoors.

Please also ensure that your child has appropriate footwear: an outdoor pair of shoes or boots as well

as an indoor pair of shoes for classroom and physical education use. Extra socks and a change of clothes

is also helpful in the event of an emergency.

Children are expected to go outside for all recesses unless an indoor recess has been decided by

administration.

Children who are ill should remain home until completely recovered as indoor supervision is not pro-

vided during recess.

Library News

If you are interested in volunteering your time to assist in the library please contact Ms.

Neumann at the school (905) 884-7431 extension 118.