Alliston Union Public School

ALLISTON UNION PUBLIC SCHOOL 211 Church Street N., Alliston, ON L9R 0G3 Phone 705-435-7391 / Safe Arrival Press 1 / Fax 705-435-2517 [email protected] Greg Jacobs, Principal Jenn Carrick, Vice Principal Len Dunkley, Vice Principal OCTOBER 2015 NEWSLETTER - Issue #2. CO-OPERATION: We work together towards shared goals and purposes At Alliston Union Public School for the month of October we will be focusing on Cooperation as our Character Focus and our Learning Focus for this first term will be on Learning Skills and Work Habits. Responsibility and Learning Skills and Work Habits connect very well with each other and will be reported on the Progress Report that comes out in November. Below is a summary of the Learning Skills and Work Habits we wish to see our students learn at school and we hope you are able to see these same Learning Skills and Work Habits with your child at home. LEARNING SKILL /WORK SAMPLE BEHAVIOUR HABIT At school the student will and at home your child will:  Fulfil responsibilities and commitments within the learning environment and as RESPONSIBILITY a member of the family at home;  Complete and submit class work, homework, and assignments according to agreed-upon timelines as well as household chores;  Take responsibility for and manage own behaviour ORGANIZATION At school the student will and at home your child will:  Devise and follow a plan and process for completing work and tasks;  Establish priorities and manage time to complete tasks and achieve goals;  Identify, gather, evaluate, and use information, technology and resources to complete tasks and household chores where appropriate. INDEPENDENT WORK At school the student will and at home your child will:  Independently monitor, assess, and revise plans to complete tasks and household chores and meet goals;  Use class and home time appropriately to complete tasks and household chores;  Follow instructions with minimal supervision. COLLABORATION At school the student will and at home your child will:  Accept various roles and an equitable share of work in a group or as a member of the family;  Respond positively to the ideas, opinions, values, and traditions of others;  Build healthy peer-to-peer relationships through personal and media-assisted interactions  Work with others to resolve conflicts & build consensus to achieve group goals;  Share information, resources, and expertise and promote critical thinking to solve problems and make decisions. INITIATIVE At school the student will and at home your child will:  Look for and act on new ideas and opportunities for learning;  Demonstrate the capacity for innovation and a willingness to take risks;  Demonstrate curiosity and interest in learning;  Approach new tasks and household chores with a positive attitude;  Recognize and advocate appropriately for the rights of self and others. SELF-REGULATION At school the student will and at home your child will:  Set own individual goals and monitor progress towards achieving them;  Seek clarification or assistance when needed;  Assess and reflect critically on own strengths, needs, and interests;  Identify learning opportunities, choices, and strategies to meet personal needs and achieve goals;  Persevere and make an effort when responding to challenges. I’M THE ONE: EXPECT IT – DO IT – BE IT

IMPORTANT DATES October 16th – Picture Orders due October 19th – Federal Election October 20th – Picture Retake (morning) October 23rd – P.A. DAY (no school for students)

SCHOOL COUNCIL Our first school council meeting was held Monday, October 5th. Our nominations and elections were held this night. Christine Birkett continues to chair this year along with Sonia Cholakov. Carolyn Maws, Secretary and Sarah Simpson, Treasurer. Our next school council meeting will be November 3rd at 6:00 pm. We encourage parents to get involved. HALLOWEEN DANCE On Friday, October 30 we will hold a dance for the students as follows: 9:00 – 10:00 Primary (K to 3) 11:00 – 12:20 Junior (Grades 4 to 6) 1:10 – 2:40 Intermediates (Grades 7 – 8) Costumes will be permitted at the dance. We ask that students do not bring masks or toy weapons. We are asking for a minimum admission/donation of $2.00 as a school fundraiser to support field trips, technology and athletic equipment. There will be snacks and drinks available for purchase. Profit from this will also be used for field trips, technology and athletic equipment.

A Local Hockey Game for our Junior and Primary Students The Alliston Hornets Jr “C” Hockey Club is beginning its 2015/16 Hockey Season and embarking on a new community based initiative. The Hockey Club will be providing Alliston Union P.S students (Kdg to Grade 6) a free ticket. They will also provide a Hornet Logo Puck giveaway for each student upon entry. This offer is for students that are accompanied by a parent. The parent accompanying the student will pay regular admission at the door.

Spirit Wear Clothing is Returning to AUPS In the month of October, order forms will be sent home for families wishing to purchase clothing (T- Shirts / Hoodies) for Spirit Days and Physical Education Class. The clothing will be offered in youth and adult sizing. Payment information will be sent home with the order form. We encourage families to use the SchoolCash-Online, although cash and cheques will also be an option.

VOLUNTEERS Current volunteers who do not submit an Annual Offence Declaration for Volunteers on or before December 31, 2015, will be deleted from the database on January 1, 2016, and will have to submit a new CRC and VSS. We have attempted to send the necessary paperwork home on two occasions to date enabling volunteers to keep their acceptance current. If you are unsure whether or not you have completed the necessary paperwork, please do not hesitate to contact the school. Please remember, if you plan on accompanying your child on a field trip/sporting event/helping at the school in any capacity, a Criminal Record check must have been provided to the school at some time.

TRANSPORTATION If you are looking for information about student transportation, please visit the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium’s website at: http://main.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca/ . As well, the Transportation Consortium provides a website for reporting bus cancellations due to inclement weather, located at: http://www.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca/ .

I’M THE ONE: EXPECT IT – DO IT – BE IT

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine for Grade 8 Girls The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit will offer the HPV vaccine to all grade 8 girls at school based immunization clinics. The HPV vaccine series is publicly funded for grade 8 girls and is given in two doses over the course of the school year. Information has been sent home in October for review by the parent and student. Permission form needs to be signed and returned. First vaccine date is Oct 9th. IMMUNIZATION FOR GRADE 7 STUDENTS The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit will offer the Hepatitis B (Hep B) and meningococcal conjugate ACWY (Men-C-ACWY) vaccine to all grade 7 students at school based immunization clinics. Both vaccines are publicly funded for all grade 7 students. The Hep B vaccine is a two dose series and the Men-C-ACWY vaccine is one dose. Information has been sent home for review by the parent and student. The form needs to be signed and returned. First vaccine will be October 9th. The consent form for HPV and Hep B is to be signed by both parent and student in their respective sections. All consent forms must be returned to the school before the clinic date regardless of decision for vaccination. The consent form is valid for the 2015-2016 school year. For more information visit the immunization page of the health unit’s website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Your Health Connection at (705)721-7520 or 1-877-721- 7520.

ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION Some students may require the administration of medication prescribed by a physician for use during school hours. A REQUEST FOR ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL form is required each school year to authorize administration of medication or change of medication dosage requirement.

ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN …. We encourage all parents to send a change of clothes with their children in their school bag so that we do not have to phone home when accidents occur.

STUDENT REPORTING The Elementary Progress Report will be issued November 7. It will not include letter grades, marks or levels of achievement, but will instead inform parents of the progress students are making towards achievement of the expectations. The progress report will also include feedback on Learning Skills and Work Habits. Teachers will give comments in parent-friendly language on both learning skills and progress in subject areas. Teacher-parent- student interviews will take place the evening of Thursday, Nov 13th or the day of Friday, Nov 14th.

SCHOOL CASH Program We thank those parents who have signed up for the School Cash program to be used for upcoming events/field trips. Our hope is that 100% of our parents use this program in the future. STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE 2015-2016 Student injuries at school, during school events, and extra-curricular activities (athletics, clubs, and out-of- province/out-of-country field trips) are not covered by the board or its insurance company. While every precaution is taken to provide a safe learning environment, accidents can and do happen. Due to recent injuries in Ontario during school extra-curricular activities and field trips, and the resulting financial cost, a risk exposure to school boards and families has been highlighted. It is essential that all those participating in out of regular school extra-curricular activities have adequate insurance coverage for all instances of injury. The Simcoe County District School Board has selected Reliable Life Insurance Company as an option for students/parents/guardians to consider with regards to purchasing student accident insurance coverage for the upcoming school year. The coverage is for 24 hours a day. Reliable Life offers a variety of plans and benefits at reasonable annual prices. Coverage can be purchased online at www.insuremykids.com. Please watch for your student accident insurance package along with a letter about requirements for extra-curricular activities and out-of-province or out-of-country field trips.

I’M THE ONE: EXPECT IT-DO IT-BE IT You may have noticed at our student lead assemblies, the footer of our letterhead and other strategically placed locations and events, “I’M THE ONE” and “EXPECT IT-DO IT-BE IT”.

‘I’M THE ONE’ is our anti-bullying campaign at Alliston Union Public School. The premise of the campaign is based on ‘ONE’ a book written by Kathryn Otoshi. This book and its message align closely with the Simcoe County District School Board’s character traits. Our house teams are based on the colours in ‘ONE’ as well.

‘EXPECT IT-DO IT-BE IT’ is our school’s Mission Statement and that we need our students as well as staff and parents to have high expectations for what our students are capable of. Once students, staff and parents have established high expectations then students are better able to do what needs to be done with support from staff and parents through feedback. Once students are doing what needs to be done they can be whatever they expect of themselves. This is founded in having a ‘Growth Mind Set’ and having established sound Learning Skills and Work Habits.

EXPECT IT: Keep High Expectations for student achievement and behavior DO IT: Aligns with our Learning Skills and Work Habits BE IT: Aligns with our character education initiatives and goal setting

Ontario Early Years Centre

Are you home with little people and looking for something fun to do? Drop by the Ontario Early Years Centre in Alliston! The OEYC is a free service for all adults with children 0 to 6 years of age. Adults and children participate in activities together. Children have the opportunity to play with other children and participate in many different types of programs and activities, which promote early learning and school readiness, and they are FUN for children and adults alike.

Do you have a child starting school in 2016? Participating in activities at the OEYC is a great way to help prepare your child for this exciting transition. OEYC staff have resources for kindergarten preparation. Just drop by and ask!

Check out our website, www1.e3.ca or call 705 435-4308 for hours, directions and more information.

Do you live in any of the north Alliston subdivisions? Calling all adults home with pre-school children! Marie from the Ontario Early Years Centre is facilitating an early learning program for children 0 to 6 years of age accompanied by an adult, which will include literacy and sensory experiences, songs, crafts and more, at Alliston Union Public School. Fun, early learning for children! Watch for October dates!

Children do not come with a manual! Are you looking for some parenting tips and ideas? Do you have questions about parenting? Check out these Triple P seminars:  The Power of Positive Parenting

 Raising Confident Competent Children

 Raising Resilient Children

These will be offered at the Well Café in Alliston, Wednesdays September 30, October 7 & 14 6:30pm. Limited childcare is available. Please call 705-435-4308 to register or for more information.

SECRETS THE SERIES AUTHOR NIGHT! COME OUT AND MEET ALL OF THE AUTHORS! On Tuesday, October 6th, our Grade 7 and 8 students will be visited by Canadian author Norah McClintock. Norah has written a variety of novels and is now a part of a new series called, “Secrets”. This series is unique as it consists of seven books from seven well-known Canadian authors. They are written so that one can read them in any order. The authors include Eric Walters, Kelley Armstrong, Norah McClintock, Teresa Toten, Marthe Jocelyn, Kathy Kacer and Vicki Grant. On the evening of Tuesday, October 6th, all of the authors will be presenting at Nantyr Shores Secondary School in Innisfil (Alcona). Presentation will begin at 7:00 pm and end around 8:30p.m. There is no cost to attend this event. For more information about the books and the tour, you can click on the following link: http://www.readthesecrets.com/ Boxed sets and individual books will be available for purchase during the evening event. Boxed set is $80.00. Individual copies are $15.00. Prices include applicable taxes.

We hope to see as many of our Grade 7 and 8 students and their families at Nantyr Shores S.S! Please mark your calendars as this is a wonderful opportunity for our students to see all of the authors at one event!

Directions to Nantyr Shores in Innisfil from Alliston Union PS

OCTOBER 2015 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Thanksgiving Food Drive – until October 9th. 1 Day 3 2 Day 4 Please send a non-perishable food item.

5 Day 5 6 Day 1 7 Day 2 8 Day 3 9 Day 4 Cross Country Meet at Gr 7-HepB Gr 8 girls-HPV 6:00pm – Schl Council Gr 7&8-Author Visit 10:50-Volunteer Tottenham Conservation Mtg Orientation

12 13 Day 5 14 Day 1 15 Day 2 16 Day 3 THANKSGIVING DAY Picture Orders due Bus Patroller Training

19 Day 4 20 Day 5 21 Day 1 22 Day 2 23 Federal Election held at Picture Retake (morning) P.A. DAY our school (no school for students)

26 27 28 Day 4 29 Day 5 30 Day 1 Day 3