BUS SAFETY PRESENTATIONS

Our grade 1-7 classes will be participating in two bus safety presentations on Friday, December 7

CAFE AT GOVERNOR SIMCOE

Our grade 8 students will be heading to Governor Simcoe on Friday, December 7 to participate in a French cafe.

DALEWOOD WINTER CONCERT

On Thursday, December 13, Dalewood will be hosting our Winter Concert with a matinee at 1:15 pm and an evening performance at 6:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased through School Cash Online. The evening performacne is limited to 2 tickets per family. There is no limit on the afternoon performance. We are also asking guests to please bring a non-perishable food item for Commu-nity Care.

WINTER SING ALONG

We are thrilled, once again, to be

having a Sing Along with our students on Friday, December 21, at 9 am.

STUDENT COUNCIL BUNNY DRIVE

From December 1—12, Dalewood families are invited to donate to the Student Council Bunny Drive. Each bunny costs $30 and can be purchased through School Cash On-line or by bringing in cash or cheque to the school. The

Student Council members will be donating the bunnies to children and their siblings at Sick Kids Hospital in Hamil-ton. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

SPORTS

Our intermediate volleyball teams have concluded their season. We want to thank M. Beneteau, and Mme Abou-kors for coaching and assisting with games. The junior boys and girls triple ball team is currently in the middle of their season and we wish them Bonne Chance. Thank you goes to Mme Janzen and Mme Dritsakos for coaching.

PIZZA

Students in grades 7&8 have been selling frozen pizzas as a fundraiser the past few weeks. All orders are due December 10th. Delivery will be on Wednesday, Decem-ber 19 from 3-6 pm. Any pizzas not picked up will be thrown out as we don’t have a freezer at Dalewood to hold them.

ICE DOGS GAME IN JANUARY

On Friday, January 11, all Dalewood families are invited to attend the Ice Dogs game. Our choir will be singing O Canada and there is a pre-skate before the game for our families. Tickets are available to be purchased through School Cash Online until January 6th, 2019.

P.S. CLUB

In collaboration with Allison Vanderform who is a grade 5 student, the P.S. Club will be fundraising for Dalewood to purchase a Buddy Bench for the back play area. You should hear more about this in January.

WINTER WONDERLAND AND RECYCLE

BOUTIQUE

On Thursday, December 20, Dalewood students will be invovled in a Winter Wonderland of activities in the gym. And, back by popular demand, the Recycle Bou-tique will be happening the same day for students from grades 1-8. We are in desperate need of the following items:

• Wrapping paper

• Gift bags

• Recycle items for students to purchase

• Plastic grocery bags

Please send these items in to the school as soon as possible.

Dalewood French Immersion Public School Public School

D I S T R I C T S C H O O L B O A R D O F N I A G A R A December, 2018

Upcoming Events in December

Page 2 Dalewood French Immersion Public School

FRENCH IMMERSION REGISTRATION INFORMATION

FALL FUNDRAISER WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!

Our Dream Big/Cookie Dough Fundraiser was again a huge success. Thank you to everyone who supported

our fundraiser and came promptly to pick up their items. Students in grades 5-8 were able to raise funds for

Camp Muskoka and the trip to Quebec in June, 2019. The students in grades 1-4 raised over $4900 for the

School Council. Funds will be used to purchase additional microphones from the sound system.

The French Immersion program offered at Dalewood is open to all students in Year 2 (Senior) Kindergar-ten. If you want your child to develop a high proficiency and fluency in Canada’s two official languages, French Immersion has a great deal to offer.

FEATURES OF THE FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM:

• Development of French language skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing from Grades one to twelve;

• Designed to be a second-language program for children whose first language is NOT French;

• Current enrolment of over 2,000 elementary students;

• Certificate of French Immersion Studies awarded upon successful completion of the elementary and secondary immersion programs;

• Opportunity to challenge the Diplôme d’études de langue française (DELF) exam in Grade 12 ;

• Promotes understanding of different cultures;

• Provides additional opportunities for employment using French as the working language;

• Increased ability to communicate and interact with confidence in French.

Registration will open January 7th, 2019

For more information about French Immersion in the District School Board of Niagara

visit www.dsbn.org/fi or speak to your school principal.

A Parent Information evening will be held on January 9, 2019 at name Dalewood French

Immersion Public School from 6-7 pm.

Dalewood French Immersion Public School Page 3

STUDENT SAFETY - LOCKDOWNS, HOLD & SECURE, SHELTER IN PLACE Each year, DSBN schools practice fire drills and lockdowns. During the months of December and January,

Dalewood students will be participating in several drills.

LOCKDOWN

A lockdown is used in the event that there is a concern outside of the school. Students assemble in the class-

rooms, lock the door, draw the curtains and teachers report attendance to the office.

HOLD & SECURE

Hold and secure is used if an emergency has occurred in the school requiring students to remain in their class-

room until further notice. Students assemble in the classroom, teachers ensure that students do not leave the

classroom until notified by the office that it is safe to do so.

SHELTER IN PLACE

Shelter in Place is used when there is an environmental concern. Students remain inside the building, but are

able to freely move from class to class.

Please feel free to discuss these with your child in the coming weeks.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION AT THE LOCAL SCHOOLS

IS DSBN ACADEMY A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR CHILD?

The DSBN Academy is a Grade 6 to Grade 12 public school designed to support

and empower students to be the first in their family to graduate from college or

university.

The faculty and student body are committed to excellence and the belief that, with

hard work, they can achieve their dreams. Come learn how our unique program

prepares students to succeed at college and university and how your child can benefit from the opportunities

offered at DSBN Academy. All families are invited to attend a parent information session in your community.

Please see below for dates, times and locations.

Parent Information Sessions:

Admission Requirements:

DSBN Academy recruits and enrolls students from all 12 municipalities within the Niagara Region. Eligible applicants must meet the following requirements, both at the time of application as well as at enrollment:

• Student must be entering Grades 6, 7 or 8 in September, 2019.

• Student would be the first in their family to graduate from a college or university program. If a sibling of the student has attended a post-secondary institution but the parent(s)/guardian(s) have not, the student is still considered a First Generation Student.

• Student must be achieving current grade level expectations or just below.

• Student has demonstrated the potential for achieving "good" or "excellent" learning skills, particularly initiative, in-dependent work and responsibility.

• Student must be willing to attend a school location that may be out of his/her community.

• Student understands that there is a mandatory after-school program which includes enrichment opportunities and academic supports.

• Families must understand that it is a single track pathway beginning in grade 9 (Academic Level Only).

• Families understand that there is a parent engagement requirement of 15 hours each year.

Applicants must submit a completed application to their current school by February

WHERE TIME

Tuesday December 4th, 2018 PLYMOUTH P.S. - Welland 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Thursday December 6th, 2018 HARRIET TUBMAN P.S. – St Catharines 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Monday December 10th, 2018 SENATOR GIBSON P.S. - Beamsville 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Tuesday January 15th, 2019

DSBN ACADEMY – St Catharines

OPEN HOUSE

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AT DALEWOOD

Student Council is looking for ways to give back and show school spirit during the month of Decem-ber! We have planned a variety of activities to help spread holiday cheer and give back!

BUNNY BUDDY LAST WEEK EVENTS

DATE: Nov 26th - Dec 12th

Bunny Buddies is a campaign to collect donations to raise money to buy Jellycat stuffed bunnies for chil-dren admitted to the McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Our idea is to continue our tradition and provide some cheer this holiday season to those who might be in need of an extra hug. These are super soft bunnies with really long ears, that a sick child would take com-fort in. The cost is approximately $30.00 per bunny. Student Council will be heading to McMaster to deliver all bunnies purchased by Saturday, Dec 15th.

Students will have a bunny envelope set up in their classroom, where they can put as much change as they would like to help support us with this cause;

If your family would like to purchase a whole bun-ny, you can do so on school cash online for $30.00 from Nov 26th - Dec 12th

You will be able to see all of the bunnies we were able to purchase at our Winter Concert on Dec 13th.

Please donate what you can, any amount is wel-comed.

DATES: Dec 17th - Dec 21st

Dec 17th → Hat, Scarf and Mittens Spirit Day Dec 18th → Door Decoration/Spirit Day Dec 19th → Holiday Sweater Spirit Day Dec 20th → Winter Wonderland and Recycled Bou-tique/Red White and Green Spirit Day Dec 21st → Pyjama Day Spirit day

SPIRIT DAYS: We are encouraging students to follow the spirit day schedule to help show their school spirit. On the 18th students will be an International holiday themed door decorating and they are encouraged to dress along with their theme.

Winter Wonderland and Recycled Boutique: Thursday Dec 20th

We will be hosting a WINTER WONDERLAND in the gym by division. Students will be able to participate in a variety of activities. (4 of the 10 stations will be fundraising stations where students can participate for $2.00 per station). Students will have to pick a few stations to attend as there will not be enough time for them to participate in all stations. Stations are first come first serve and are limited to a certain amount of students at a time.

We will be organizing a recycled boutique for grades 1-8 to come and purchase gifts for their loved ones. Gifts will range from 50¢-$5. We are asking the whole student body to donate slightly used items to sell at this boutique. Please send all items to Mme Marion’s room. Purchase will include gift wrapping. If you have any gift bags, tissue paper, tags and/or wrapping you could donate that would be much appreciated.

All proceeds will be put toward buying bunnies for Children at the McMasters Hospital.

Your 2018-2019 Student Council Team

INCLEMENT WEATHER There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause transpor-

tation cancellations or school closures.

At times when student transportation has been cancelled and schools remain open, the decision of whether

or not to have children in school on that day rests with the parent or guardian.

Should you decide not to send your child to school in the event that transportation is cancelled but

schools remain open, or if your child is ill or late, please ensure that you call your child’s school to

inform them of your child’s absence.

A key resource in any emergency is the DSBN Emergency Information form that you filled out at the begin-

ning of the school year. Please let the school know of any changes in contact information or procedures you

wish to be followed throughout the school year.

For secondary schools it may become necessary to cancel late buses. Notice will be provided via school an-

nouncements and on the websites and subscription features by 11:30 a.m.

Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will be available as soon as it is available

through the following channels:

Websites:

http://www.dsbn.org/inclementweather/

www.nsts.ca

Subscription Features:

DSBN Facebook or Twitter

NSTS Transportation Delay or Cancellation Alerts

Phone:

Niagara Student Transportation Services 905-346-0290 Voice Auto Attendant

Radio Stations:

CKTB (610 am) St. Catharines CHRE (105.7 FM) St. Catharines

WAVE (94.7 FM) Hamilton CHTZ-FM (97.7 FM) St. Catharines

CKOC (1150 AM) Hamilton 2DayFM (105.1 FM) Niagara Falls/Fort Erie

CHML (900 AM) Hamilton K-LITE FM (102.9 FM) Hamilton

CHAM (820 AM) Hamilton GIANT FM (91.7 FM) Welland

Y-108 (107.9 FM) Hamilton

Television Stations:

CHCH—Hamilton CTV Toronto

CityTV Breakfast Television Cogeco Channel 10 (Jack.Clusters@cogeco.com)

61 Duncan Dr., St. Catharines, ON, L2N 3P3 905-934-3325

www.dalewood.dsbn.org

Principal: Mme J. Tye Vice Principal: Mme M. Hurd

December 3, 2018

Dear Dalewood parent/guardian:

At District School Board of Niagara, one of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each day.

To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we are introducing a new, more efficient student absence reporting sys-

tem called SafeArrival. This new system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report

your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences.

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:

1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the

Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.ca). The first time you use the app, select

Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

2. Use the SafeArrival website, at https://go.schoolmessenger.ca. The first time you use the website, select Sign

Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

3. Call the toll-free number 1-866-606-5567 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time.

The SafeArrival app will have a number of benefits for both parents and staff. It is quick, convenient and will allow you to report

daily absences as well as schedule future absences for your children for medical appointments and other important events in

your lives. Using SafeArrival, you will be able to update your contact information easily, should it change. SafeArrival will also

reduce the amount of staff time dedicated to tracking student absences, allowing them to spend more time supporting students.

In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is

absent when the absence was not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at mul-

tiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, office

staff will follow up.

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT re-

ceive these notifications.

If you have not provided us with an email address, you may do so by contacting the school secretary by calling 905-934-3325

prior to Monday, January 21, 2019. After that date, you will be able to set up your account by visiting the Safe Arrival site via the

link which will be available on our school website.

Starting Monday, January 21, 2019, please report absences in advance using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or call-

ing/emailing the school.

Starting Monday, January 21, 2019, staff will begin using the SafeArrival notifications to let you know if your student is absent

(when you haven’t reported the absence in advance).

If you have children attending other schools, please continue to report absences using the existing procedures for those schools.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we implement this new system.

Sincerely,

J. Tye

Principal

Safe Arrivals Coming in January

The healthy schools team had their first student meeting and came together to share ideas about what they could do to make Dalewood an even healthier school! This year we will be continuing to focus on the health topic of Healthy Eating. We wanted to share in this newsletter some of the ideas the group had and reach out to our Dalewood family for support and community engagement to make this ideas come to life this year!

Healthy Eating Project Ideas: • Organizing a Smoothie Day/Salad Day for classes.

• Another Try it Tuesday! (Focus on Trying new food! Perhaps a focus on a local product sources from local farms/companies)

• Foodie Fridays (Cooking/Baking Club for students) Perhaps feature a local chef/restaurant and or ethnic dish from our community during each session.

• Creating a Healthy Schools Cookbook by students for students!

If you are interested or inspired to help with any of these project ideas or be a part of our Healthy Schools Team please connect with us! Please send your email and contact information to

jillian.janzen@dsbn.org. We look forward to connecting with our Dalewood family!

HEALTHY SCHOOLS TEAM UPDATE!