As we head into what is often the coldest month of

the winter, we remain optimistic that the groundhog will not see a shadow, signifying spring is just around the corner. It is important to remember that we go outside for both morning and lunch recess. All students who are at school are expected to be outside, dressed in appropriate seasonal clothing.

Term Two begins February 4th and students are continuing to build their skills in a variety of disciplines. We are maintaining our ongoing focus on math and literacy. Please ask your child on a daily basis what they have been learning. Sometimes children can surprise us with their knowledge! Students will bring home their Term One report cards on February 13th. If you have any questions about the content of the reports, please speak to your child’s teacher.

If you have kindergarten age children (or know of neighbours whose children were born in 2015) please register them as soon as possible. This helps us with our planning as we begin to look at next year.

F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 9

York Region Mission:

February Black History MONTH

The weather continues to be COLD so please remember to wear your warmest clothes!

Most days we will be going

outside—even if it’s just for 10 minutes so be

ready!

Black History Month Heart Health Month

Nutrition Month

SNOWFEST @ the ROC (Saturday)

2

Choices Gr. 7/8 @ 8:30 a.m.

5

Winter Walk Day & Sweater Day

8

Kindness Week-see flyer 11-15

School Council Meeting 6-8 p.m.

11

Choices Gr. 7/8 @ 8:30 a.m.

12

TERM 1 REPORTS GO HOME

13

Dairy Presentations (K-7) 13

Family Day (No School)

18

Choices Gr. 7/8 @ 8:30 a.m.

19

Anchor Fitness 1-8 25

Wear Pink Day-stand up against bullying

27

MARCH

Assembly-Mrs. Thompson @ 8:30 a.m.

1

Deer Park Digest “Make a Difference”

605 Varney Road, Keswick, Ontario L4P 3C8 Phone: 905-476-4185 Fax: 905-476-7648

Principal: Cathi Robinson Superintendent: Drew McNaughton Trustee: Cynthia Cordova Elementary Office Administrative Assistant: Kathy Scaini Secretary: Kelly Highet

School Website: http://www.deerpark.ps.yrdsb.ca

A message from Ms. Robinson ….

To advance student achievement and well-being through public education, which motivates learners, fosters inclusion, inspires innovation and builds community.

Message from our Trustee

Are you moving before next September?

Is there someone in your neighbourhood with first-time Kindergarten age children? If so, please let us know as soon as possible. We are currently projecting our student enrolment for September 2019. These numbers help us hire sufficient staff and support personnel. It is important that we know as soon as possible whether you may be leaving the Deer Park community before September. If there is someone with a 4 year old in your neighbourhood who has not yet started school, let them know that registration began January 18th. If you know of someone moving into your neighbourhood with school-aged children, we would like to know as well. Thanks for your assistance in preparing for the next school year. Please call our office with any information: 905-476-4185.

Kindergarten Registration began at Deer Park PS on January 18th, 2019 for the 2019–20 school year. Registration forms are available on YRDSB’s website: www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. Children who turn four or five years old during 2019, live within the school boundary and whose parents are public school tax supporters will be eligible to register for kindergarten. A kindergarten information session for parents is being planned for this spring. For more information please visit the YRDSB website or contact the office at Deer Park.

Office hours for registration are from 8:30-12:00 and 1:15-3:30. Please bring the required documents to register your child: Proof of child’s age (one of the following): Birth Certificate, Birth Registration, Statement of Live

Birth, Passport Two documents showing proof of address: Purchase Agreement or Rental Agreement, and one of the following: Utility bill (e.g. Gas, Hydro, etc) or Bank statement

Family living with relatives or friends must provide a letter of residency from the friend/relative, a property tax bill, and one utility bill in the name of the friend/relative.

Kindergarten Registration

On February 27, 2019 we encourage all of you (adults included) to wear something pink to symbolize that we as a society will not tolerate bullying anywhere. We wish we could take credit for this idea but it comes from two incredible Nova Scotia high school students:

“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school.

As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled.

The bullies were never heard from again.” Stand Up Against Bullying http://www.pinktshirtday.ca/

Round 3 Pizza Orders

Pizza Orders are due by Feb.15th for round three.

The third round will start on Feb 28th.

Please see attached order form.

Thank you very much for your support!

Tuck Tuesdays

Every Tuesday at lunch time, our School Council members sell tuck items for $1 each, that meet PPM150. This means that these snacks are lower in calories, salt and fat and are a better choice than some traditional snack options. Support your school’s fundraising!

All YRDSB schools are now using School Cash Online as an online payment system. School Cash Online is an easy, safe and convenient way for families to pay online for extracurricular items or events, including yearbooks and field trips. It helps to reduce paper and the amount of cash/cheques handled by parents and students. You can register for School Cash Online at any time. There is also a button on our school website. Once you are registered, you will be notified of any new items available for your child. Please call the office if you have any questions about how to register. Help us be “Eco Friendly”.

School Cash Online

LICE IS NOT NICE!

Be Vigilant - Keep Checking for Lice and Nits

This has been a great nit year with very few cases having been reported. Please support us and con-tinue to reduce the incidents of nits by checking your child’s head weekly. Our school does not have a team able to check heads so we ask all parents to check their own child’s head regularly.

Another Eco Initiative from our Eco Team

Help us recognize National Sweater Day!

As an Eco Gold certified school in York Region, we are supporting this national event in our school by having our Board turn down the heat for the day on Friday, February 8th. If all Canadians lowered their thermostats by just 2 degrees Celsius this winter, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 4 megatons. That’s equivalent to shutting down a 600 mega watt coal-fired power station or taking nearly 700,000 cars off the road! http://schools.wwf.ca/GetInvolved/

Wear your sweater on February 8th!

Our lost and found continues to be an active location during cold wintery weather. We encourage you to hound your children to check for their missing belongings and make an opportunity yourself to check the box when you are in the school. Labels work wonders and are certainly worth the time to ensure your child’s belongings find their way home.

Oral Communication

The language curriculum in all Ontario schools is organized into four strands: Oral Communication, Reading, Writing and Media Literacy. Each strand is reported on twice. Oral communication skills are essential to a child’s development in all areas of literacy, and for overall thinking and learning. Through talk, students communicate information, explore ideas and concepts, and solve problems. Oral communication skills include speaking (expressive language) and listening (receptive language). Listening and speaking skills are essential for social interaction at home, at school and in the community. To develop oral communication skills, students need numerous opportunities to listen and talk on a daily basis. Research shows us that those students with strong oral communication skills go on to be stronger readers and more fluent writers. You can support the development of your child’s oral communication skills by having a conversation with your child every day. Find a quiet place and talk about a hobby, a family outing or something you watched on television. The following prompts can be used when your child is reading, to encourage your child to share his/her thinking about the book. Prompts to encourage your child to express his/her thoughts about their reading book:

Share with me what you have just read.

Talk to me about what you think may be happening (looking at a picture).

Does this remind you of anything?

Tell me what you are wondering.

What words would you use to describe that character? Tell me why.

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL NEWSLETTER……

We have some tips for how to get outside and still have fun in the cold, including while you’re walking or wheeling to school or the bus stop. Being dressed for the weather is the first step to enjoying the outdoors. Here are a few suggestions on how to stay warm: Wear a base layer Wear an insulating layer (wool socks, shirt and pants but not jeans or cotton) Wear an outer shell (windproof jacket with a hood and snow pants with elastic or velcro fastening at the cuff) Wear insulated waterproof snow boots Have a hat that covers the ears (and a spare!) Add a neck warmer Finish with waterproof mittens Keep moving! Eat high-fat snacks to keep your body going. Drink water! Even though it’s cold, the air is dry and your body can become dehydrated. February 8th, 2019 is our Winter Walk Day! Winter Walk Day is celebrated by schools across Canada during the first week of February each year. Walking and wheeling to and from school is fun everyday, so we encourage you to journey outside throughout the entire month of February!

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