It was been a busy November at Holland Landing Public School! Our students were involved in a number

of activities including: the Eco Club, Chess Club, the Student Leadership Team, the Character in Action

Team, Library Helpers, Volleyball Intramurals, the Junior and Intermediate Volleyball teams, as well as

band practices and the Art Club. Grades 2, 4 and 7 had fieldtrips to the Sibbald Point Outdoor Education

Centre, the Grade 6 students participated in our Values, Influences and Peers program with the York

Regional Police department, and our Grade 8s enjoyed the Junior Achievement Program. School Council

was busy organizing our holiday fundraising initiative as well as organizing our Booster Juice, Euro Panini

and Mr. Sub Lunch programs, and The Healthy Schools Committee organized hand washing day with

presentations to each class. Our students had the opportunity to showcase their skills through presenta-

tions at the Remembrance Day Assembly, as well as our Character Assembly. We would like to extend

our thanks to all those who arranged these activities on behalf of our students.

Many of you have been in to meet with your child’s teacher regarding your child’s learning needs, and to

reflect on the learning that they have engaged in so far. I would encourage parents to speak with their

children about their learning goals throughout the remainder of the term, and the rest of the year. When

talking about this, please also talk with your child about the importance of their Learning Skills, as these

play a very important role in the success of students. Related to this, we have been speaking with stu-

dents about the importance of punctuality and the importance of arriving at school on time, and prepared

to learn (home work completed, all necessary materials at school, dressed appropriately to be at school,

and for the weather). School staff are on duty at 8:45 each morning, and we suggest to students that they

plan on arriving at school by 8:50. That way, if they are running a few minutes late they will still arrive at

school prior to the bell ringing.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Holiday Concert on the evening of December 9th, and shar-

ing with you the best wishes of the season. The school is once again participating in our annual Care

and Share Silent Auction the night of the concert. Proceeds from this event will be directed to stu-

dents and families in need in our immediate school community. In addition, the Student Leadership Team

will be collecting new unwrapped toys for distribution to families in need in our local community.

In closing, as we approach the Winter break, on behalf of the staff we would like to wish our Holland

Landing families a restful break. The Winter Break begins on Monday, December 2st with students re-

turning to school on Monday, January 4th. To those who celebrate at this time of year, we wish you a

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and all the best for the holidays and the New Year.

Mr. Biemiller

Principal’s Message

Important Bus Transportation Message

Did you know that students’ bussing eligibility changes throughout their school career? Your son/

daughter’s eligibility to ride the school bus may change according to their grade and distance from home

to school. Below are the provisions for eligibility identified in the Board’s Transportation Policy #680: All YRDSB students in Grades JK-3 who live within 1.2 km of their school are not eligible for

transportation All YRDSB students in Grades 4-8 who live within 1.6 km of their school are not eligible for

transportation All YRDSB students in Grades 9-12 who live within a transit served area are not eligible for

transportation.

To view Board Policy #680 Student Transportation, please visit www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. For more infor-

mation about bus transportation and to determine your son/daughter’s eligibility please visit

www.schoolbuscity.com.

HOLLAND LANDING HOLLAND LANDING

PUBLIC SCHOOLPUBLIC SCHOOL 905‐836‐6614905‐836‐6614

December 2015 HLPS Highlights Principal:

Mr. Matthew Biemiller

School Office Admin Assistant:

Mrs. Lisa Wilson

Admin Support:

Mrs. Tina Robinson

Lead Caretaker:

Mrs. Kaylene Sutton

Superintendent of

Schools: Mr. Paul Carew

(905) 895-5155

Trustee:

Ms. Loralea Carruthers

Inside this issue:

Character Matters 2

Fairness Poster

Holiday Reminder

2

2

Holiday Spirit Walk

Upcoming PA Days

2

2

Bus Cancellation 3

Winter Weather 3

Too sick to go out-

side?

3

Kindergarten Regis-

tration

3

Art-i-Facts 4

Math Minute 4

Life-Threatening

Allergies

4

Intra-murals & Try-

outs

4

Healthy Schools 5

Head Lice 5

Trustee Message 6

Cell Phone & Cam-

era Use

6

Progress Reports 6

Storybook House 7

Calendar 8

We wish all of our Holland Landing Families a peaceful and restful winter break.

Page 2 HLPS Highlights

At our monthly Character As-

semblies, we introduce our

upcoming character trait for

the month. Each class also has

the character trait posted and

over the course of the month,

students and their teachers will

engage in discussions about

what the character trait means

in the context of their specific

grade (for example, how we

demonstrate fairness in Grade

8 is different than how we do

so in Kindergarten). To the

right, you will find this month’s

character poster so that your

child may chat with you about

what fairness means to them.

Character Matters

Our Character Trait for the Month of December is Fair-

ness.

“Fairness isn’t everybody getting the same thing. Fairness is

everybody getting what they need in order to be success-

ful.”

Holiday Reminder

Please note that the

students’ last day of

school is Friday, De-

cember 18th and that

the Winter Holidays

run through to Friday,

January 1st. The first

day of school in the

new year is Monday, January 4th,

2016.

If your family will be extending

this holiday period, please in-

form your child’s teacher and

the school office in writing at

your earliest convenience.

Thank you!

Holiday Spirit Walk!

Eco Club is excited to announce the Holiday

Spirit Walk taking place on Wednesday, De-

cember 16th. As a part of “Walking Wednes-

days”, we are asking students to walk, bike or

scooter to school! To get everyone feeling festive,

we’re inviting everyone to keep their heads warm

by sporting a fun holiday hat or even reindeer ant-

lers! Why not wear some jingle bells on your back

pack and jingle all the way to school! Once at

school, keep your holiday hats on to show your

spirit!

We look forward to seeing all of our festive friends walking to school!

Fairness Poster

Character Calendar

Respect, Responsibility,

Empathy, Fairness,

Initiative, Honesty,

Integrity, Courage,

Perseverance, Optimism

Upcoming PA Days

Please note the following dates are P.A. Days

therefore there is no school for students on these days:

Friday, January 15th

Monday, February 1st

Page 3 HLPS Highlights

School Bus Cancellation Information

To ensure the safety of students, school bus service may be cancelled due to inclement weather, extreme temperatures and/or poor

road conditions. In these cases, parents and students should develop alternate care/transportation arrangements. Since some busing

schedules begin by 7:00 a.m., cancellation decisions must be made by 6:00 a.m. to allow time to communicate this message to bus driv-

ers. Cancellation decisions will only be made after thorough consultation with the Safety Officers of school bus companies servicing

York Region and are based on several factors including precipitation, air temperature, road conditions and weather forecast.

Please note the following;

A decision to cancel school bus service will be region-wide meaning all school buses, vans and taxis will not operate.

When bus service is cancelled all school tests and/or examinations will be cancelled and rescheduled.

Student trips involving the use of school buses will also be cancelled.

School bus routes may be cancelled when severe weather may not be affecting all municipalities in York Region.

The YRDSB operates many regional educational programs. Students attending these programs are transported over large attendance

areas encompassing several municipal boundaries. This limits the ability to cancel bus service using a municipality or zone methodol-

ogy.

Unless otherwise stated, schools will remain open and parents can make arrangements to transport their children to and from school

even if school bus service is cancelled. If buses are cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon.

Therefore students transported to school by parents will require the same transportation home.

Parents, students and school staff are asked to access the following radio and television stations after 6:00 a.m. to receive bus cancella-

tion information:

RADIO 590 AM 640 AM 680 AM 860 AM 1010 AM 1050 AM 1540 AM 1580 AM 88.5 FM 89.9 FM 92.5 FM 93.1 FM 94.9 FM 95.9 FM 97.3 FM 98.1 FM 99.1 FM 99.9 FM 101.1 FM 102.1 FM 104.5 FM 100.7 FM 105.9 FM 107.1 FM

TELEVISION CITY TV CTV Barrie CTV Toronto CP24 GLOBAL NEWS

A bus cancellation message will also be available at www.schoolbuscity.com and by calling 1-877-330-3001, or by fol-

lowing the YRDSB on Twitter.

Winter tends to arrive like a lion. Please ensure that your children are prepared for the winter weather when coming to school.

Supervision during the recesses is outdoor only. It is expected that if a child is well enough to come to school, that they are well

enough to go out for recess. An extra pair of mittens or hat are good ideas in the younger grades as snow play often creates very

wet children and outdoor clothes don’t always have time to dry thoroughly between recesses. As well, please ensure that your

child has indoor shoes to wear. This is necessary both for comfort and safety as children must have footwear on at all times in

case of a fire alarm.

Please be sure to listen to the radio (or watch television news in the morning) on bad weather days to see if school busses have

been cancelled. Remember - if busses are cancelled in the morning, they are cancelled for the day. Students who are

dropped off at school in the morning need to be picked up by 3:30 p.m. promptly as we do not have staffing for after school super-

vision.

Winter Weather

Then you are too sick to attend school.

It is an expectation at Holland Landing P.S.

that if your child attends school then they

must go outside at the recess breaks. Super-

vision is not available in classrooms or the

office during these times of the day. On severe

weather days with extreme wind chill temperatures or

a cold weather alert, we use judgement to shorten the

length of time spent outdoors.

Too Sick to go Outside? Kindergarten Registration - Sept. 2016

Kindergarten registration will commence on January 15, 2016 for the 2016

-17 school year. Registration forms are available on YRDSB’s website:

www.yrdsb.ca. Children who turn four or five years old during 2016, live

within the school boundary and whose parents are public school tax sup-

porters will be eligible to register for kindergarten. A kinder-

garten information session for parents is being planned for this

spring. For more information, please visit the YRDSB website

or contact Mrs. Wilson in the office via phone 905-836-6614

or via e-mail at lisa.j.wilson@yrdsb.ca .

Page 4 HLPS Highlights

Art-i-Facts

The Art-i-Facts Club will begin in January for students in Grades One to Five. This extra curricular

activity will take place during the lunch hour in Room 20 with Mrs. Evans-Milak.

As in the past, workshops will focus on the biographies of various artists and students will create art-

work which is inspired by famous paintings. The Grade One students will study Vincent Van Gogh.

Grade Two students will study Claude Monet. The Grade Three students will study Pablo Picasso and

the Grade Four and Five students will learn about the Canadian Group of Seven artists. All work which

is created will be saved for display at our school wide “Gallery Night” in the spring.

A letter will be sent home with complete details. Students must pre-register for this club so that

sufficient supplies can be prepared and to ensure that appropriate supervision is arranged.

We look forward to another year of exploring our creative potential. A special thank you goes to

HLPS School Council for providing funding for this extra curricular activity.

I want to touch people

with my art. I want them to

say 'he feels deeply, he

feels tenderly’.

- Vincent Van Gogh

Math Minute

Parents often ask how they can support their child’s learning of

math skills at home. Technology provides us with a number of

websites and tools that support parents in reinforcing and under-

standing math concepts. At times, parents state that they would

like to help their child with a math concept, but they do not under-

stand or remember the concept from when they were in school. A number of

resources are available to help students with math:

The Khan Academy

(www.khanacademy.org) is a free

resource, that provides both instruc-

tion and practice in a wide range of

math skills ranging from simple arith-

metic to high school and university

level modules.

The Ministry of Education’s Homework Help program (www.homeworkhelp.ilc.org) is part of the

Ministry’s Provincial eLearning Strategy. The Ontario Ministry of Education and the Independent Learning Centre

launched a new project called Homework Help. All Ontario Mathematics students enrolled in Gr. 7 – 10 have

access to this resource, which includes many new features and online resources. Students log on to Homework

Help and using an interactive chat room, they can obtain personalized tutoring from a certified Ontario

Mathematics teacher. Chats take place Sunday to Thursday evenings from 5:30 – 9:30 pm.

Homework Help is no cost, live, and anonymous. In order to register for this program you will

need your child’s Ontario Education Number (OEN), which is found at the top of their progress

report, or can be obtained from school.

Life Threatening Allergies and Peanut Butter Substitutes

As many of you are aware, severe, life-threatening allergies have increased in

numbers over recent years. Please remember that we try to be a nut-safe

zone. Please do not send any foods that contain or may contain nut and nut

products. For example, items such as granola bars should show “nut free” on

their packaging. We also ask families to refrain from sending in Soy

based/nut free alternatives products (i.e. Wow Butter) as these products

can cause confusion and anxiety to students with peanut allergies, and also

desensitizes all students to the importance of not bringing peanut products to

school. With over 200 students, we cannot check each student’s lunch daily. If

a student accidently brings in an item that is of concern/question, they will be asked to come to the office to eat the item and contact will be made home to clarify the school policy in this re-

gard. We thank you for helping us to keep our school safe for all students.

Upcoming Team Sports Intra-Murals & Try-Outs

Please note that there will be basketball intra-murals beginning in the second week of January for

both Intermediate and Junior students. Please ask your child to pay attention to the daily an-

nouncements if they would be interested in participating. These will be followed by try-outs for

the Intermediate Basketball teams later in January with the Junior Basketball team try-outs closer

to spring.

HLPS Highlights Page 5

Healthy Schools

Head Lice

Each year, cases of pediculosis

(head lice) are found throughout

our schools. In an effort to reduce

the numbers of cases found and

decrease the inconvenience to par-

ents/guardians and students, the

York Region District School Board

requests your assistance. Periodic

inspections during the year will help

prevent the spread of head lice.

Head lice are tiny (1/8” or 3mm

long) wingless insects with flattened

bodies. They cling to the hair by

means of six legs. They live mostly be-

hind the ears and at the nape of the

neck. The female lays tiny, yellowish-

white eggs called nits. They resemble

dandruff but are attached to the hair by

a cement-like material and are very

difficult to remove. It is usually the eggs

that are noticed first.

If head lice are found, do not return

your child to school until treated. This

will prevent the spread of pediculosis.

Children are only allowed to re-enter

the class when all the nits

are removed from the hair. For

more information, please call the

Public Health Nurses at York Re-

gion Health Services Health Connec-

tion line, 1-800-363-5653 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30

p.m.).

Pizza Lunch Order Forms for the Winter Session will

be coming home soon!

Please check your child’s backpack to take advantage

of this popular program!

Page 6 HLPS Highlights

Message from our Trustee

It is that time of year when our schools brim with energy and excitement for the many diverse

celebrations taking place across our region. I am always happy to join the festivities happening in

our schools and appreciate the efforts of our students, staff and community members to bring the

holiday season alive.

As we wind down 2015, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our parents and guardians

for their support of our students and staff over the past few months. A school community is only

as strong and welcoming as the people who make up that community. Our students, staff and

community members have continued to demonstrate respect, character and commitment in their

work and interactions over the last few months. As a trustee, I consider myself very fortunate to

work with such supportive community and staff members.

On behalf of all of the trustees and staff of the York Region District School Board, I would like to

wish you and your families a very happy holiday season.

All the best for 2016!

Loralea Carruthers

.Cell Phones are a wonderful convenience and can also be a useful safety tool for students to be able to contact family members in

some circumstances. However, the inappropriate use of digital photographs and video footage can also be a very serious danger for

our students as well. If cell phones must come to school with students, the following policy applies at H.L.P.S.:

Cell phones must be turned off from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.;

Cell phones must be stored in a backpack or locker and not used throughout the school day;

Cell phones are not to be used in the school building; a telephone in the office is available for students who need to con-

tact parents for emergencies during the day

Photographs of students at Holland Landing P.S. must not be posted on the internet

The usual range of consequences, as outlined in the school’s Behaviour Code, will apply to any students who disre-

gard the expectations listed above. Parent support of school policy regarding cell phones is appreciated!

Thank you!

Progress Report Timelines

Most parents know that students receive a Progress Report Card in November (this year the report will be issued in December) and

two Provincial Report Cards, one in February and one in June. The Progress Report will be issued on Wednesday, December

9th. As always, if you have any concerns about your child’s progress, please contact your child’s teacher.

Learning skills and work habits play a critical role in a student’s achievement of the curriculum expectations. Information about a stu-

dent’s development of these skills and habits also provides a strong indication of the student’s development as a self-directed learner.

The Learning Skills are:

Responsibility - completes and submits class work, homework, and assignments according to agreed upon timelines

Organization - establishes priorities and manages time to complete tasks and achieve goals

Independent Work - follows instructions with minimal supervision

Collaboration - accepts various roles and an equitable share of work in a group

Initiative - approaches new tasks with a positive attitude

Self-Regulation - perseveres and makes an effort when responding to challenges

The Terry Fox Run -

A Great Success!

Congratulations

to students and

staff of HLPS!

W e r a i s e d

$535.95 for the

T e r r y F o x

Foundation. A great big thank

you for all of your efforts!

“Even if I don’t finish, we need others to

continue. It’s got to keep going without

me.”

- Terry Fox

Cell Phone and Camera Use

HLPS Highlights Page 7

Page 8 HLPS Highlights

December 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

22 23

24

25

26

27

28

29 30

1 (Day 3)

Subway Lunch

2 (Day 4)

Booster Juice

3 (Day 5)

4 (Day 1)

Pizza Lunch

5

6

7 (Day 2) BOOK FAIR

Euro Panini Lunch

Jr. Boys’ Area Vol-

leyball Tournament

8 (Day 3) BOOK FAIR

Subway Lunch

Jr. Girls’ Area Vol-

leyball Tournament

9 (Day 4) BOOK FAIR

Booster Juice

Holiday Concert

10 (Day 5) BOOK FAIR

Holiday Concert

Replay

11 (Day 1) BOOK FAIR

Pizza Lunch

12

13 14 (Day 5)

Vaccination Clinic

for Grade 7s

Euro Panini Lunch

15 (Day 1)

Subway Lunch

16 (Day 2)

Booster Juice

Junior Achieve-

ment for Gr. 7s

17 (Day 3)

Character Matters

Assembly

Festival of Foods

Luncheon

18 (Day 4)

Pizza Lunch

19

20 21

22

23

24 Christmas Eve

25 Christmas

26 Boxing Day

December 25 is Christmas for most Christians in the West. Some Orthodox

Churches, such as the Ukrainian Church, follow the Julian calendar and will

celebrate Christmas on January 7. For Christians, Christmas is a joyous reli-

gious celebration of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. We wish Christian stu-

dents, staff and members of the community who will be celebrating Christmas, a

Merry Christmas and a joyful time of sharing.

Christmas– Friday, December 25th