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 http://www.211ontario.ca/sites/default/files/2015%20Holiday%20Sharing%20Guide_ Physio – B. Johnson / M. Brown 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 Follow us on Twitter @ SPSSabres Clerk – H. Labelle 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.