1

Erin Mills News

erinmills.net Monday May 1st , 2019 Twitter : @erinmillsms

Instagram: follow us

Date Event Time Location

Hot Lunch Program

LunchBox Pizza Nova LunchBox LunchBox

11:20-11:40

---

Monday

Tuesday & Thursday

Wednesday Friday

May 2nd Spring Concert

Giant Book Fair – Me to We 6:30 – 8pm

2:30pm – 4pm Gym

Locker Bay

May 6 and 8 Roadshow to Feeder Schools –

Select EMMS students visit Brookmede, SawMill Valley and Garthwood

During the day ---

May 13 -16 Schoolwide PD - Unlearn Day the day Library

May 13 School Council Meeting 6:30 pm Library

May 15 IT Support Specialist and Media Support Specialist Appreciation Day --- ---

May 13-17 Police Appreciation Week --- ---

May 20 Victoria Day

No School for staff and students ---

---

May 17th Student Talent Show - Families are welcome

Presented by Student Council 12 - 1:30pm

Gym

May 23rd Student Movie Night --

Presented by Student Council 6pm - 8pm

Gym

May 22 – 29 EQAO AM Homerooms

Dear Erin Mills MS Families, What an exciting April at EMMS. There were so many events for our staff, students and parents. To name but a few, we had Spirit Week, Day of Pink, Giant Book Sale, Finastra Coding for grade 8s and Habitat For Humanity Legacy initiative. Please take some time and read the next couple of pages with descriptions and pictures of all the great activities throughout the month of April. As we enter May, we are all excited because of the Spring-like weather. One of the most exciting events this month is the celebration of South Asian heritage. The spring concert is just around the corner and the students are exciting to show off their talent. Please mark down the date of the concert, May 2nd and come and celebrate with us all. We are continuing to bring lessons of tolerance and inclusivity with UnLearn in the middle of May for all staff and students. The French Cafe will be help our grade 6s and 7s practice their French oral skills in a restaurant-like setting. At the end of the month, the grade 6s will be participating in EQAO. Again, as the weather becomes warmer, we are aware that at times students like to stay afterschool and play on the field and/or use the basketball nets. We ask that all students make those arrangements with their parents the day before. We have had several parents call into the school looking for their children. It is a very unsettling feeling not knowing where your children are, so please talk with your children about the afterschool

plan. Please let the school know if you have any questions and/or concerns by calling the admin team at 905-820-9777.

Sincerely, Maria Kalantzakos (Principal)

Principal: Maria Kalantzakos VP: Mason Vandermeersch Office Manager: Jasminka Pavlovic

2

School Council : Our next School Council meeting is on May 13th at 630pm. All parents are welcome to attend. To add items to the agenda

please email emmscouncil@gmail.com we want everyone's voices to be heard.

Student Safety and Teacher Supervision At EMMS, teacher supervision begins at 7:55 a.m. and ends at 2:25 p.m. Students are encouraged to plan their morning routine around this arrival time and to leave school promptly at dismissal time so that we can be certain of their safety. At the end of the school day, staff is on duty until 2:25 p.m. to assist students with boarding the buses and to see that they are on their way home. Students and their families should review their routines for entry and dismissal and talk about a contingency plan should unusual circumstances occur. Students should go directly to the office for help should they miss their bus. We appreciate the many families who update us with their current phone numbers for home, work, cell phones and emergency contact so that the office may help students when needed. All parents/guardians of elementary students need to report their children's absences or late arrivals from school via our automated School Messenger SafeArrival system. Use one of the following methods to set-up your new SafeArrival account. Please ensure the number and email address that you are using to report your child’s absences are those that we have on file at the school. SchoolMessenger app (free from Apple or Google Play)

1. Download the SchoolMessenger app 2. Tap Sign Up to create your account

Web and Mobile Web: go.schoolmessenger.ca

1. Go to the above website 2. Click Sign Up to create your account

Interactive Toll-free Phone

1. Call the toll-free number: 1-855-209-6155 2. Listen to and follow the instructions to report an absence

As always, please report your child’s absences before the start of the school day. Late arrivals and/or early departures should be reported as soon as possible. If your child’s absence is not reported in advance, the automated notification system will contact you and will provide an opportunity to verify the absence. By reporting your child absent in advance on the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or SchoolMessenger mobile app, you will not receive a call. As always, if you have any questions or require any assistance, please contact the school.

Lunch at EMMS – Hot Lunch Program is here ~ LunchBox (Mon, Wed, Fri) and Pizza Nova (Tuesday and Thursday) We believe that offering a hot lunch program is beneficial to our students’ well-being and a convenient delight. We have heard the need for variety and are bringing that to our student body. We are using our locate businesses to further our partnership with our community partners.

Monday LunchBox Menu

Tuesday Pizza Nova $2 /slice

Wednesday LunchBox Menu

Thursday Pizza Nova $2/ slice

Friday LunchBox Menu

Subway

Cheese Pepperoni Gluten Free

Mac Sushi

Cheese Pepperoni Gluten Free

Boston Pizza

At this time, we are reviewing our lunch program by gathering feedback from students and parents. The goal is to provide a "Lunch Program" that allows a student to buy a hot and healthy lunch at school. Our lunch program will meet the Ministry Food & Beverage Policy guidelines. If busses are cancelled then lunches will not be delivered for that day (ie Snow Days ) credit will be applied. To support a safe climate, students are strongly encouraged NOT to go off school campus, to South Common Mall during their lunch time. In School Clubs and Programs

3

Physical Education: PE Class In March we practiced our soccer and ball hockey skills. Students learned how to kick, shoot, stick handle, and play with their heads up, while actively participating in P.E. activities and games. We look forward to Track and Field, outdoor Soccer, and 3-pitch, in PE class, as the weather gets nicer. This means that all students must come prepared to go outside for PE classes. Intramurals Badminton intramurals have come to an end and we crowned our grade 6, 7, and 8 intramural champs: Grade 6 - Peyton & Simon, Grade 7 - Vaso & Bikram, Grade 8 - Nathan & Kinwah Basketball Our boys and girls basketball teams had successful seasons. The girls team traveled to Queen Elizabeth P.S. to play their tournament and finished in 5th place. This was the first taste of organized basketball for most of the girls and they are to be commended on their hard work and great improvement. Congratulations to the boys’ team on bringing home the championship from the Valleys tournament. They displayed great defense and teamwork as they capped off an undefeated tournament! Well done Mustangs! Art Department:

Visual Art Erin Mills

As we enter the month of May students in all grades are in the refinement stages of their various projects. In Grade 6, students are working on Keith Haring inspired pieces. They are highlighting aspects of their own lives that bring them joy and happiness and painting them using acrylic paint in the style of artist Keith Haring. In Grade 7, students are now shading and shadowing their still life scenes and adding the finishing details to create a hyper realistic drawing of their photographs. In Grade 8, students are working on their plaster masks. Most students are in the process of adding many three-dimensional features to their masks, and soon will be using acrylic paint and other materials to add the finishing touches. Visit us on Instagram @arterinmills.

ART Counting On You

Students in ART Counting On You (COY) have been busy this past month working on a variety of projects. We have added the central features of our wall mural at the top of the main stairwell. Students also learned how to set up a portable photography studio, and took turns taking photos of the senior band members for the music department. Students have also been working on printmaking techniques in COY, learning how to make linoleum stamps. As we enter into the month of May we are hoping to add to our wall mural, expand our knowledge of printmaking techniques, and will be assisting in the painting of Habitat for Humanity house.

4

Yearbook Sales Starting in early May, Erin Mills students will get another opportunity to purchase a school yearbook. If you did purchase a yearbook at the beginning of the school year, you will be able to purchase on for $20 via School Cash Online. Music Department: 2 streams of music programming

Upcoming Performances

The music room was a hive of activity in April as our students attended band practises and came in at lunch to practise with their peers. Our students have worked hard to prepare for our Spring Concert on May 2nd. A typical lunch in the music room in April. Many students took the initiative to practise band music with friends or practise with small ensembles. Keep up the great work Mustangs! Spring Concert: Thursday May 2nd at 6:30 p.m. The concert will begin at 6:30 with our Junior Band. The Senior Band will perform as well. A letter with more details has been sent home. Junior Band members should arrive at school at 6:00

p.m. Senior Band members should arrive at 6:15 p.m. Band members are asked to wear dark bottoms and a black top. The Junior Band will perform first. After a short break, the Senior Band will take “the stage.” Junior Band members are asked to join their parents in the audience following their performance and to support the Senior Band by staying for their performance. Grade 5 Feeder School Road Show and Parents Night A small group of Grade 8 instrumental students are preparing for a “road show” to our Feeder Schools May 6th and 8th. We will be demonstrating the instruments and telling the Grade 5s about the Erin Mills Music Department.

5

Senior Band performance for Grade 5 Parent Information Night: Thursday May 16th at 6:00. Our Senior Band will perform during the presentation for Grade 5 Parents. We are looking forward to this performance and for our incoming students to hear a full band performance. Band members should arrive at 5:30 p.m. to set up and warm up for our performance. Canada’s Wonderland Festival Wednesday June 12th. Both the Junior and Senior Bands will perform in the afternoon for an adjudicator. We will leave in the morning at 9:15 a.m. The Junior Band will perform at 1:00 p.m. and the Senior Band will perform at 1:45 p.m. The students will be able to go on rides before and after our performances. We will leave Canada’s Wonderland at 5:30 p.m. A permission form has been sent home with those students who have attended band regularly. The form and payment (through cash online) is due by Wednesday May 8th. Band Rehearsals

Junior Band: Thursdays 2:20-3:20 Senior Band: Thursdays 2:30-3:30

Senior Band is cancelled Tuesday May 7th and Junior Band is cancelled Thursday May 9th (enjoy a week off)

Day of Pink

It was wonderful to see some of our musicians wearing pink on April 10th. Class 8TM enjoyed practising our

band music, including “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. Math Thru Music COY

Mrs. Phillips has started the “Math Thru Music” COY sessions (Tuesdays and Thursday). This program introduces students to the craft of DJing while building strong numeracy skills. In the COY after school program students have been learning the craft of Djing while building stronger numeracy skills. So far the students have learnt how to mix music and add cues. Some of the DJs will be performing at our spring concert. Students will be mixing a variety of songs which are tailored towards what students at Erin Mills MS. have been tuning into this year. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Concert! Mrs. McAlpine Mrs. Phillips (Instrumental Music) (General Music)

Me to WE News The Me to WE Club will be hosting a used book sale on Thursday April 25th and Thursday May 2nd. There will be a wide variety of quality books for all age groups at a cost of only $1. Students will have access to the book sale at lunch on those dates and parents and the public are welcome to visit our book sale from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. on both days. The book sale will also be open during the Spring Concert on May 2nd. All proceeds will go directly to our 2018/19 Me to WE initiative of supporting "Opportunity in Sierra Leone". The money raised will be used to provide goats for families in need in Sierra Leone. One goat at a cost of $50 can provide both opportunity and empowerment. Please come out and support us by attending our book sale!! Thank you! Erin Mills Me to WE Club

Student Council:

6

Math and English Café The Erin Mills Student Council is opening a Math and English Cafe once a week from 10:40 to 11:20 in the library to help grade six and seven students who may be struggling in these subjects. The Math and English Cafe will be open every Wednesday from 10:40 – 11:20. Come on out and get some extra help in a safe and inclusive environment.

Erin Mills Gaming Opportunity Do you like playing board games? The Student Council is working to set up a board game drop in every Friday from 10:40 to 11:20. This opportunity will be available to all students. In order to move forward with the lunch games opportunity, the Student Council is looking for donations of gently used or new board games to add to our collection. All donations will be accepted as soon as possible. Please drop off your donations at the Erin Mills Middle School Office/attention Mrs. Arczewski

May 17th: Talent Show (PM in the Gym) May 23rd: Student Movie Night (6pm-7:30pm)

Unlearn – EMMS Social Justice Journey – May 13 - 16 unlearn’s mission is to provoke thought to inspire positive change. As a social enterprise, critical thinking is at the heart of everything unlearn does. unlearn uses design to create a dialogue around social justice, equity and human rights. unlearn's vision is to help people see the humanity in everyone. unlearn challenges learners of all ages to think critically about their unconscious biases and examine how they can be reinforced by the media, their experiences and their relationships. unlearn creates a path to identify and eliminate discriminatory practices in classrooms, schools and communities. The content will evoke strong emotions and will speak to the narratives of identified racialized people. The goal is to begin to bring the learning of our own cultural biases and how to change those negative actions and behaviours. Please ask your child(ren) about their experiences after the workshop. A Reminder about Volunteering At Erin Mills MS (All are welcome) We encourage parents to become active in our school community and for some family members working in our school or on a field trip is a viable option. Since September 2001, our Board requires that all volunteers have a Criminal Record Check (CRC). Parents wishing to accompany students on a class field trip need to have a completed a recent CRC. Thank you in advance for your interest in possibly volunteering at our school. To volunteer at our school, you must complete a short interview and a criminal record check. A police background check is required for all school volunteers in Ontario. Even if you want to accompany your child on a field trip, you need this background check. Once you have completed the process, you are on file with the Peel District School Board as being a school volunteer. Beginning this year, all returning volunteers will be mailed an Offence Declaration Form that must be filled out and returned to the board office each year. You will not be able to volunteer with the Peel board until you have returned this form. If you have any questions about criminal record checks or the offence declaration form, please call the board office at 905-890-1010 ext. 2488. Bus cancellation and closing schools due to bad weather During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather. Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio, television stations and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146. One of the following messages will be announced (highlighted text only):

7

Peel District School Board buses are cancelled This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will operate as usual. All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed This means that all schools and Peel board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits. All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed. All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed. Safe Arrival/Attendance at School

All students are expected to attend school regularly. Students should be in line, ready to enter the building at 8:05 a.m. for morning entry and 11:40 p.m. for lunch entry. If your child will be late or absent from school, please contact the School Messenger at 1-855-209-6155 or go.schoolmessenger.ca or download the School Messenger mobile app for Apple and Android users. This line is dedicated to messages regarding late or absent students and is available 24

hours a day. When children return to school after an absence, they are responsible for connecting with their homeroom teacher and their rotary teachers to "catch up" with any missed work or assignments. All classrooms have a section of the blackboard devoted to homework and assignment due dates and routines students follow when absent. Students that are late must have a note from a parent explaining the reason for being late.

Celebrating Faith and Culture May 2019

DATE CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

May Yansa'altt and Flower Moon Indigenous May 1 Beltane Wicca Sunset of May 1 to May 2 Yom HaShoah Judaism May 2 ● 12th Day of Ridvan Bahá'í May 6 Ramadan Islam May 7 Akshaya-tritiya Jainism May 12 or 19 Sakyamuni Buddha’s Birthday Buddhism May 17 to June 4 the month of 'Azamat Bahá'í May 19 ● Wesak Day/Buddha Day Buddhism May 20 Victoria Day Canada Eve of May 23 to 24 Declaration of the Báb Bahá'í May 24 Zarathosht-no-Diso Zoroastrianism Eve of May 28 to May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Bahá'í May 31 Lailat ul-Qadr Islam May 31 Jumatul Widha Islam May 10 or 17 (J) Ascension Christianity

8

If you require a hard copy of the newsletter after September -- please let the admin team know immediately