5120 Perennial Drive Mississauga, Ontario L5M 7T6 Phone (905) 569-6261 Fax (905) 569-8735 www.oscarpetersonps.ca Principal: Kerri Dunford Vice-Principal: Kimberley Daries Office Manager: Allison Boodoosingh Office Assistant: Janice Hancock

THANK YOU to all of our OP Lunch Supervisors – we couldn’t do it without you!

We welcome our new Buddy Bench to Oscar Peterson that will be installed outside in the Spring.

Helpful Reminders: Please do your best to refrain from coming into the office to sign your child during our last period of

the day. Thank you

Follow us on Twitter! Our OP twitter account name is @OscarPetersonP2.

Safety at OP Kiss and Ride Protocol: There is only one lane for our Kiss and Ride, the other lane is a through Lane in which cars MUST continue driving and park in the parking lot if there are available spaces or continue through and exit the OP lot and park in the overflow parking lot beside the school. If you are in this lane do not “cut” over to the Kiss and Ride lane. If you are late in the morning please do not stop or park in the bus lane. You can be ticketed by the City.

School Council Dates

March 11, 2020/June 11, 2020

Council will meet in the library for 6:15– 7:15 pm. We look forward to your attendance!

Writing Club

Congratulations! Some of our Grade 4/5 students made it through the first round of judging in the Young Writers of Canada Poetry Contest, some will be published in an anthology this spring.

Fatima Channaa, Farida Elsayed, Alishah Fatima, Aathira Manikantan, Ayesha Mughal, Priya Nagarajan, Anjali Pratheepan, Ana Gabriela Rodriguez, Kyle Santos, Christina Yang, Mulan Yang, Zara Yasin, Noura Zahran, Raza

Mohammad, Umama B.H., Asiyah Hoda, Fiona Wang

MATH CORNER

Grade 4 students exploring/mining with chocolate chip cookies for the Rocks and Minerals Unit.

Writing Club is Fun Writing is fun Respectful words Improves writing To help in writing poems I use my right hand Nice Writing Great education Canadian contest writing Limited edition writing Unique writing Best club EVER!! Anjali Pratheepan

A Day in the Life of a Watermelon

I am a watermelon, so bright and green Some people knock and pull

To see if I’m full When I was taken,

It felt like a dream come true, Because I could finally leave the crew

When I was in line, I wish I was fine,

But I really was not, Because it felt like fought

Now I’m at home, Home alone

When the people come back, They are going to be ready to slice,

Because they paid a price Now it’s time to say farewell

Before I feel unwell

Asiyah H.

Oscar Peterson has had many activities to highlight Black History Month. A display of various books on the topic are available to staff and students and Mrs. Springer has invited the classes for various activities.

Mrs. Stephenson has prepared bulletin boards in the hallways upstairs with information on prominent figures. Every day on announcements, there is a trivia question for students to answer. Winners receive a book about Black History. On Friday,

February 28th, our Grade 3-5 students participated in an assembly that focused on poetry. The staff and students enjoyed the

presentation.

Library & Makerspace News Grade 2’s and 5’s working together. Mme. El Telt’s class building structures and learning about saws and drills.

HELPING HANDS

Thank you to our Helping Hands team for our new parachute. It was so much fun.

FUNDRAISING: Total $1, 155, 15 will be donated to an Australian charity called WIRES. WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.) has been rescuing and caring for wildlife for over 30 years and is the largest wildlife rescue organization in Australia.

Coby’s Anti-Bully Magic Show The show’s foundation is all about creating a “Positive School Climate”. The anti-bullying magic show helps

students and teachers identify signs of bullying. It also helps the students feel good about themselves. All while

having FUN. The Anti-Bullying magic show is the story of Professional Magician Coby who was bullied as a

child through his teen years. It gives students an understanding of BULLYING as seen through the eyes of the

person who is being bullied.

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: 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.

Peel Public Health shares tips to help prevent the flu

It’s 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 defence 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

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.

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.

Report your child's immunizations to the Region of Peel online and provide the reference number to your child's school when registering. An Ontario Health card is required. Visit www.peelregion.ca/immunize for more information

Lunchroom Supervisors Appreciation Day on March 6

In 2017, the board of trustees declared the first Friday in March as Lunchroom Supervisors Appreciation Day. This year, the recognition day falls on Friday, March 6, 2020. Take this opportunity to thank the important work of lunchroom supervisors, and their support and commitment to helping to ensure that students are safe and secure.

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

What you need to know about head lice (pediculosis) What is head lice? Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp where they lay their eggs. They have three stages: the egg (nit), the nymph and the adult. Head lice do not spread diseases and cannot be spread between animals or pets and humans, only through direct contact between people. Head lice spread easily, especially where people are in close contact. They are common among school-aged children or children attending child care, where they spread through direct hair-to-hair contact or directly by sharing things like hats, combs, hairbrushes or headphones. One of the first signs of head lice is an itchy scalp. However, children can have head lice for several weeks with no symptoms. If you think your child has head lice, check their hair for nits right away, then again after one week and after two weeks.

What to do if your child has lice If you discover your child has lice, notify the school immediately so that classmates can be checked. Parents must keep their child at home until they have been treated for lice and are nit-free. Students may only return to school if they are “nit-free” and will be checked by a school administrator before being re-admitted to class. If your child has live lice, ensure they avoid head-to-head contact with other children until the lice are gone. Children should not share combs, hairbrushes, caps, hats or hair ornaments. You should also check all family members for head lice. Be sensitive to your child’s feelings and let them know that having head lice does not mean they are not clean. Head lice can be treated with the following approved insecticides:

pyrethrin (found in R&C Shampoo + Conditioner)

permethrin (Nix Creme Rinse or Kwellada-P Creme Rinse)

lindane (Hexit Shampoo or PMS-Lindane Shampoo) Although head lice does not pose a significant health risk, it is highly contagious and very uncomfortable for children, therefore schools take precautions to prevent the spread. Your cooperation in controlling the spread of lice by keeping your child at home until they have been treated and are nit-free is much appreciated.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

In the Peel District School Board, we #ChooseACTION each and every day to proactively eliminate racism in all forms and be inclusive in our school communities. We use an anti-oppressive stance to support and maintain a safe and positive Climate for Learning and Working for staff, students and community well-being. This important day, which we will recognize as a board on Tuesday, March 24th, will help lead the work we all do in our schools with our students in support of equity and inclusion.

History of the Day: On March 21st, 1960, Afrikaner police opened fire and killed 69 Indigenous South African people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa. They were protesting the apartheid "pass laws" that severely restricted the movement and freedom of Indigenous South Africans. Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the General Assembly of the United Nations called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. Peel District School Board Focus: This year supports and resources focused on Anti-Black Racism and Islamophobia have been curated and provided to schools. Educators are encouraged to use this sampling of tools throughout the year in our schools and classrooms. Our goal is to proactively eliminate racial discrimination every day. For more information and for activities to commemorate the day with your children please access the resources: www.peelschools.org/aboutus/equity

Parents/guardians of Black Peel students are invited to attend the third of four We Rise Together parent engagement workshops on Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Central Peel Secondary School. Register to attend at https://pdsb.me/WRTparentworkshop3.

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 Oscar Peterson 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.