Upcoming Events

December 11 December 2015 Progress Reports Go Home

December 14 Cookie Dough Order Pickup Between 2pm and 8pm

December 15 From the desk of the Principal and Vice Principal …

Skating Day (Gr. 3-8)

Fun Fitness Day (JK-Gr.2) It’s hard to believe that we are already into December! We appreciate children coming December 16 to school dressed for the weather. We are outside three times during the school day: Winter Concert @Southwood arrival recess, first nutrition break, and second nutrition break, for a total of 50 minutes 1:00 pm & 6:30 pm per day. The guidelines for keeping students indoors during extreme cold are -21 degrees Celsius with the wind chill factor considered. Southwood Staff

JK/SK – M. Savo-Newman The safety of students is most important and when the decision is made to cancel bus ECE – D. Francis -Hobbs JK/SK – C. Djelebian transportation, it is posted on the board website at www.buskids.ca and broadcast as ECE – A. McKane soon as possible on radio stations: CBE, AM 630, CHYR FM 96.7, CKLW FM 93.9, Grade 1 – K. Malcolm Grade 1 – A. Mamo CBEF AM 540, CIMX FM 88.7, CKSY FM 95.1, CFCO AM 630, CKLW AM 800, Grade 1/2 – C. Coulter and CKWW AM 580. Grade 2 – S. Tessier Grade 2 – D. Hunt -Robinson Also, as winter approaches, we have contractors who plough snow for us and almost Grade 3 – V. MacDonald Grade 3 – S. Forget always, the plough picks up gravel and debris as it piles the snow. With snow, comes Grade 4 – M. Dragicevic ice, and for these reasons as well as past injuries, for the safety of all students, we do not Grade 4 – K. Aversa Grade 5 – N. Baughan permit snowball throwing. Thank-you for your attention to our cold weather reminders. Grade 5 – P. Mio Grade 6 – J. Piescic Grade 6 – K. Camlis At this time of year, we reflect on everything that we are thankful for, both here at Grade 7 – J. Cadarette Southwood School and in our own homes. Because of that, we encourage our children Grade 7 – D. Chisholm to think about ways to “give back” to those who are in need. The following link takes Grade 8 – J. Dunlop Grade 8 – M. Cichon you to the 2015 Holiday Sharing Guide for our community, for your family to consider SERR – M. Brown during this holiday season: LST- D. Edgar GAINS – A. Bellemore Physio – B. Johnson / M. Brown http://www.211ontario.ca/sites/default/files/2015%20Holiday%20Sharing%20Guide_ French – M. Hermle FINAL%20Nov%2013.pdf French – J. Meszaros Library – M. Lucier Music – A. Cecile Our next newsletter will be in January, so on that note, we would like to wish each and Physical Education – K. Trudell every one of you a safe, enjoyable, and relaxing holiday with your family and friends. DSW – D. Branch DSW – C. Jubinville EA – T. Campbell EA – S. Kovacevich Partners in Education, EA – K. Quick EA – A. Renaud EA – S. Szostopal Mrs. Lowes Mr. Johnson EA – L. Zittlau Principal Vice Principal CYW – J. Glover Custodian – J. Telford Custodian – D. Sherlock Secretary – K. Renaud Clerk – H. Labelle Follow us on Twitter @ SPSSabres

Please note: all students who are either dropped off or picked up in a vehicle by parents should be using the “Kiss and Ride” Road located at the south end of the school property. If you are dropping your children off after the entry bell, there are three “10 Minute” parking spots at the north end of our school parking lot. Please use these spots and enter through the front doors. Please do not drop off any students at the Kiss and Ride after 8:20 am as there is no supervision after that time. When using the Kiss and Ride road, please stay in your vehicles as you are approaching the “drop-off/pickup” zone by the gate. At the “drop-off/pickup” zone, the staff members on duty will assist your child in exiting or entering your vehicle. The purpose of this road is to ensure the safe exit and entry for the students while maintaining a system that is as efficient as possible. Vehicles that are left unattended interrupt the flow of traffic. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated! Parents who pick up their child(ren) by foot, or children that walk home on their own, are asked to exit through the gate opening onto Mount Royal or through the fenced area onto Mount Carmel (not through the Kiss’ n Ride). We are trying to eliminate foot traffic through this area to avoid possible accidents. Thank you for your cooperation!

Mt. Royal

The Drop- Enter the Kiss and Ride Road and stay to the right off / Pickup hand side. Do not park your vehicle. Please stay Zone is the in your vehicle and keep moving towards the only place where “Drop-off / Pickup” Zone by the gate. Please do students not pass other vehicles. should be exiting or entering any When you reach the “Drop-off / Pickup” Zone by vehicles. the gate, your child will exit or enter your vehicle. Please do not pull ahead until the vehicle ahead of you has moved. Staff will be present to assist at GATE this area.

Once you are done in the “Drop-off / Pickup” Zone, please exit carefully towards Mt. Carmel. Please do not attempt to go around or pull ahead of other vehicles.

Mt. Carmel

INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY PROCEDURES

It is VERY important to your child’s safety that you listen to the radio or check online for updates on inclement weather that may impact our schools. Please note that schools are seldom closed due to severe weather conditions, however, the following steps will assist you in determining whether there will be transportation delays, cancellations or school closures.  A decision will usually be made by 7:00 a.m. by our Director of Education.  If inclement weather occurs on a school day morning, please listen to local Canadian AM radio stations such as CKLW 800 AM or CBC 1550 for frequent updates regarding school closures and busing delays/cancellations.  This information is also posted on the Board website at https://publicboard.ca and http://www.buskids.ca.  Please call our school on days of extreme weather if you decide to keep your child at home.

Please be aware also that on FOG days, buses may be cancelled in the morning but will continue in the afternoon. On SNOW/FREEZING RAIN days, the buses will likely be cancelled the ENTIRE DAY.

A reminder that on Inclement Weather Days student arrival continues to be between 8:05-8:20. Staff supervision does not begin until 8:05 a.m.

Please keep in mind, the Kiss n’ Ride should continue to be utilized on Inclement Weather Days, so that we can continue to provide a safe arrival for all students.

During the week of our recent Parent Teacher Interviews, Southwood School hosted another Scholastic Book Fair. Many students and parents visited the Book Fair and many books, posters, pencils and bookmarks were sold. Thank-you to all the families who supported this Book Fair by making purchases. Because of your purchases at the Book Fair, over $1800 worth of books have been added to our school library! Thank-you to Mr. Lucier and our volunteer, Mrs. Dion, for organizing this successful Book Fair!

Reminder: Indoor and Outdoor Shoe Requirements!

Parents, we are requesting that all students have an “indoor” pair of shoes to be kept here at the school. During the winter months , students will be asked to remove their boots or outdoor footwear at their classroom door. While outside, students require appropriate footwear for our playground. Proper footwear would include running shoes, boots and canvas sneakers or closed sandal/runners with rubber soles.

Important Notice from the School Office

Family life in today’s world can be hectic, and mornings are particularly challenging! We respect the time and effort that it takes to get kids ready for school for their learning. Learning time in the classroom is tightly budgeted and the teachers are expected to teach a large number of learning expectations from the curriculum. Students that are late for school are prone to missing key components of lessons that have to be “caught up” at a later time. We understand that unexpected things can happen on any particular day that can cause a family to be late, but we ask that you make every effort possible to ensure that your child is at school on time, ready for learning. We also believe that placing a high priority on being “on time” is a valuable lesson for young minds that will be a benefit to your children for many years to come!

As a friendly reminder …  8:05 – Supervision for students begins on the playground  8:20 – The morning bell rings and students are expected to be present  If a student arrives at school past 8:20, they are expected to check in to the office and receive a late slip.  Our “Kiss and Ride” road has staff members present from 8:05 – 8:20. If you arrive after 8:20, please use the “Short Term Parking” at the front of our parking lot and use the front door of the school. After 8:20, there will be no staff members present at the Kiss and Ride road. Please do not drop students off in the staff parking lot.

As an added note …  If you know that your child is going to be absent from school, please advise the school by calling the office by 8:20 the morning of the absence, at the latest

Thank-you for consideration in this matter … Mrs. Lowes, Mr. Johnson, and Mrs. Renaud

School Phone Number: 519-969-3470

Mr. Piescic & 6P Chosen As “Class Of The Week” By Local Radio Station

On Tuesday, November 24th, Mr. Piescic & his Grade 6 class was chosen to receive lunch from Country 95.9 FM and Capri Pizza. The class was nominated for this Class pizza party by Susan Gauthier (Cody's mom) for the following reason: Mr. Piescic is a great teacher who engages his students in so many little, fun ways. For example, Mr. Piescic likes Arnold Schwarzenegger, and my son loves Arnold; so he and his teacher often talk in Arnold's voice. The kids also do the Batman theme song when he tells someone "to the whiteboard!” It is these little things that keep the kids so engaged, and they LISTEN to him. Cody always gets his homework done, and he stays to help Mr. Piescic clean up the classroom because he thinks he's cool. I know the little things he does with my kid, he's also doing with the other kids too, and it's working! I would love to give his class a pizza day to acknowledge the little extras he does to keep the kids attention.

Thank you ... Susan Gauthier, faithful listener! Remembrance Day Assembly 2015

On Wednesday, November 11, Southwood School held its annual Remembrance Day Assembly. Students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 gathered in the gym to take part in a poignant ceremony that honoured the sacrifices made over the years by ’s Military Forces. Our assembly began with a formal procession of flags by Ethan C., Taylor M., and Prasanna M. Our assembly continued with “O Canada” performed by our Flute Ensemble and sung by Southwood Graduate Olivia Ridpath. Other notable moments included the songs “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Peace Like a River”, performed by the Grade 2 students, a moment of silence with “The Last Post” performed by Olivia Ridpath on the trumpet, a reading of “In Flanders Fields” by Mrs. Aversa’s Grade 4 students, and a dramatic presentation by Mrs. Cadarette’s Grade 7 students. Thanks to Mrs. Cecile for organizing this moving experience for the students and staff.

You are Invited to:

Southwood School’s Annual Winter Concert

Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Southwood School

Featuring the students from: Grades 3 and 4, the Band and Flute Ensemble

SOUTHWOOD ‘BOWLS’ OVER THE CEREAL BOX CHALLENGE

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially our Southwood Sabres and their families! The goal of the Cereal Box Challenge, which began on November 9th was simple. Bring in as many boxes of cereal as possible to help out local school and community breakfast programs. By the last day of the challenge, our amazing Sabres brought in a total of 341 615 grams of cereal!

Congratulations go out to Mrs. Hunt-Robinson’s Grade 2s for winning the first place price of a pizza party. They brought in the highest average grams of cereal per student, a whopping 2899 grams! Congratulations also goes out to Mrs. Baughn’s Grade 5 class, who brought in an impressive average of 2003 grams of cereal. They are the winners of the second place prize of a pancake breakfast.

Many, many thanks go out to the students, families, and staff of our Southwood community for making this year’s Cereal Box Challenge so successful and educational. A special thank you also goes out to the students in the SERR and GAINS Physio classrooms for their hard work in creating slogans and posters to promote the challenge.

… And Here’s A Message From Our School Board Trustee, Kim McKinley, Regarding the “Cereal Box Challenge”

I can’t thank all of you enough for your participation this year in the Cereal Box Challenge. Every school stepped up for the Challenge however one school was just a step ahead in their per student average grams of cereal donated. I have done the math (I am on the Math Task Force after all) and the winning school for bragging rights this year is Glenwood PS.

Your schools collectively filled over 235 leaf bags with over 2 million and 43 thousand grams of cereal!! I know that the 26 schools and 3 community organizations that received the cereal were very grateful for all that they received this year.

Below are the school totals: (Grams per Student average has been rounded up or down)

Talbot Trail 546,999g with 830 students = 659 grams per student Southwood 361,615g with 447 students = 809 grams per student (we finished 2nd!) Bellewood 523,095g with 850 students = 615 grams per student Central 162,632g with 243 students = 669 grams per student McWilliam 172,514g with 318 students = 542 grams per student Glenwood 277,000g with 293 students = 945 grams per student

Overwhelming Success! Your thrilled Trustee, Kim

3D Printer to Debut at Southwood in the New Year!

Students and parents, keep your eyes and ears open for the start-up of the Technology Club which will be seeing its birth at Southwood in the New Year. The club will include such cool things as Lego Robotics, Coding, Computer/tablet/iPod technology but is certainly not limited to these items. Students will be supported in any technology inquiry they may wish to explore. We are most excited to announce the donation of a 3D Printer to our school! This spectacular donation was made by one of our very own parents, Mr. Fo Abiad. Mr. Abiad is President of the local company Windsor Textiles, a company with a long history of giving back to the community. The students and staff appreciate your vision and generosity!

Grade 7 Students Help “Save African Child Uganda” (SACU)

A few weeks ago, Geri Sutts, a retired teacher, came to Southwood and gave a presentation to the students in Mrs. Cadarette’s Grade 7 class about SACU. Geri had traveled to Uganda and established a shelter and school there. After the presentation, Mrs. Cadarette’s class adopted two classes from SACU. The students designed tote bags and filled them with necessary items such as socks, pencils and sharpeners, etc. Ingrid Heugh (Silvaggio), a retired teacher as well, came to Southwood and picked up the suitcase on Nov. 11. Ingrid then flew to Uganda to join Geri where they are currently distributing the items and caring for the kids etc. We raised just over $400 for the school and shelter which is caring for over 100 children. Further donations and sponsorships can be arranged through Geri Sutts, 105-2985 McKay Ave., Windsor, ON N9E 2R1. For more information, check out her Facebook page: Save African Child Uganda - Geri Sutts Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). Southwood’s Annual Skating Day

On Tuesday, December 15th, students in Grades 3 through 8 will be participating in a “Skating Day” at South (JK through Grade 2 students will be participating in fun fitness activities back at school. Students will report to school at regular time and check in for attendance with their homeroom teachers. After attendance is taken, they will continue with regularly scheduled classes until 10:15 a.m. when they will be called to load the bus.

At South Windsor arena, the students of Southwood will engage in recreational skating on one of the two ice surfaces. There will be one ice pad for the students in Grades 3 through 5 and one ice pad for students in grades 6 through 8. Both ice pads will have sections on the ice for beginning skaters. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase or a home-made lunch can be brought to the arena.

To help ensure the safety of our students, we are requiring that each student wear a CSA approved hockey helmet (not a bicycle helmet). If you have any helmets that you could donate or lend to the school, it would be greatly appreciated. Other donations, such as skates, are also welcome. If you have donations, please send them to the school and drop them off in the gym on the stage. If you intend to have the helmets or skates returned to you, please ensure that they are clearly labelled. Thank-you for all of your support!

Happy Holidays,

Mr. Trudell

Mr. Trudell is collecting skates and helmets (not bicycle) to borrow for our upcoming skating trip for Grades 3 to 8. Please label them and we will return to you.

AND THE SABRES SHOUT OUT GOES TO …

The staff and students of the GAINS and GAINS Physio classroom want to send a huge Sabres “shout out” to the Scarlet Nobles and Ladies Association, Windsor Chapter. These hard working individuals are well known for their fundraising efforts and generosity for donating funds to enhance the experiences of students with physical and developmental exceptionalities.

Many of the students in the GAINS classrooms require wheelchair accessible bussing when going on field trips. Because of this, bussing costs are quite high. The Ontario Scarlet Nobles and Ladies Association, through their donation of almost $500.00, have made it possible for the GAINS students to attend field trips to Adventure Bay and over the next few weeks. Once again, thank you to the Ontario Scarlet Nobles and Ladies Association! If you are interested in finding out more or joining this great organization, please contact Al Masse at (519) 734-0026.

There are many factors that go into the “day-to-day” operation of our school, and there are many people who work behind the scenes to ensure that Southwood School remains a great place to learn. Our fundraising efforts that are ongoing throughout the year help to fund the tools that teachers use in the classrooms to enhance the learning experiences for every student. Bingos remain one of our most critical and impactful fundraisers! The funds generated through Bingos have helped to directly purchase technology for the classrooms (such as SmartBoards, iPads and Laptops), along with helping to offset the transportation costs (busses) for field trips. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers who continue to ensure that the Bingo fundraiser functions properly. These individuals have given their own time to be trained with the City of Windsor, and many of them have been present at our allotted time slots to “work” the Bingos. We cannot thank them enough for their sacrifice of their personal time!! The following is a list of our current Bingo volunteers: Angie Dinham, Beverlee Lachine, Bryan Johnson, Ellen Hope, Carolyn Carder, Jackie Thompson, Jason Miller, Jeff Piescic Marianne Brown, Megan and Scott Boucher, Mel Patten, Mihaela Birley, Mirisa Hermle, Ronda Solly, Ryan Wakeman, Sydney Kale, Sandy Tessier, and Tammy Piliotis. As you can see from this list, we have a large team that ensures that each and every Bingo session has the necessary number of workers. Because of this large list, the individual burden is lessened greatly. If you would be interested in joining this team, please let us know! We guarantee that this is one of the easiest volunteer jobs going … and the financial impact to our school is great!

Cookie Dough Fundraiser Update

Thank-you to all of our amazing Sabre families for your hard work in our fall fundraiser! We had an incredible response! Together, we raised OVER $4,000 for our school!! The winners of our 2 for 1 passes, which were kindly donated to us by Adventure Bay were:

Tiffany L. (1/2C), Caleb S. (EYN), Hannah W. (7CA), Caleb P. (5B) and Taylor M. (8D)

“Honourable mentions” for those students who raised over $200 go to:

Aiden B., Avery L., Taylor M., Luca Q., Anthony F., Lilly M., Madison S., and Michael T.

As for our top sellers, these 3 students raised an incredible combined total of $1,120.00! ☆In 3rd place with $315 in sales, winning a $50 Mastermind gift card was Caleb S. (EYN)! ☆In 2nd place with $365 in sales, winning a $75 Devonshire gift card was Kyle C. (8C)! ☆In 1st place with $440 in sales, winning a $100 Devonshire gift card was Peyton O. (EYN)!

Lastly, our GRAND PRIZE draw for a $100 Adventure Bay gift card went to Spencer R. in 7Ca! Congratulations to everyone for a fantastic fundraiser, and thank you to everyone for your participation and enthusiasm!! WAY TO GO SABRES!!

-Your Southwood SAC