Administrators Message

Lake Simcoe PS J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 Lake Simcoe

Public School

38 Thornlodge Dr.

Keswick, ON, L4P 3A6

P: 905-656-5970

F: 905-659-5978 www.yrdsb.ca/

schools/

lakesimcoe.ps

Principal:

Angelie Barkey

Vice Principal:

Jennifer Burt

Superintendent:

Dianne Hawkins

905-895-5155

Trustee:

Nancy Elgie

905-476-4184

Dear Parents;

Happy New Year to our school community! We hope that you have had

a wonderful holiday season enjoying friends, family and rest. We are

excited to be back at school with our students.

Math and Music Night

Over the past few years, the York Region District School Board has

focused on effective mathematics instruction. In 2014, a video clip was

posted on YouTube by our mathematics curriculum team, with the

intention of defining what effective math instruction should look like,

sound like and feel like for all of students in our district, from kindergarten

to grade 12, and help communicate the components of an effective,

comprehensive mathematics program to our communities. You can view

the video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjmoqMpsrEA

At Lake Simcoe Public School, we have concentrated our professional

learning on effective math instruction, beginning with the understanding

of a Growth Mindset (vs Fixed Mindset), the use of games/puzzles to

support understanding of concepts, teacher led mini-lessons (to build

fluency with mental math strategies) and meaningful problem solving that

are drawn from real life contexts. Many of our teachers have engaged in

professional book studies written by expert mathematicians in the field,

and one such example is Dr. Jo Boaler’s book ‘Mathematical Mindsets’ as

quoted below. To learn more about the Comprehensive Math Program, please join us at our “Math and Music Night” on Thursday, January 19 at

6:30pm. While our grades 1-3 parents will be attending their child’s music

performance, the evening is also dedicated to providing mathematical

experiences for parents and children. Please mark your calendars.

“Numerous research studies have shown that when students are given

opportunities to pose mathematics problems, to consider a situation and

think of a mathematics question to ask of it—which is the essence of real

mathematics—they become more deeply engaged and perform at

higher levels.” Jo Boaler, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students'

Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative

Teaching. Please see the comprehensive Math Program Info graphic on

the next page for a better understanding.

Mrs. Barkey and Mrs. Burt

P A G E 3

Upcoming Events

Events this month:

L A K E S I M C O E P S

As

partners,

we support

each

other’s

efforts on

behalf of

our

students.

January 9: Lice Checks

January 11: Anti-Bullying Magic Show

January 16: Lice Re Checks

January 19: Math & Music Night ~ 6:30-8:30pm

Grade 1 French Immersion Info Night at Keswick PS

~ 7pm

January 20: PA Day ~ No School ~

Kindergarten Registration Begins

January 22: Electives permission & $ due

January 23: Earth Rangers Presentation

JK - Gr.3

January 26: Gr. 4-8 Electives Day

February 1: Jiggy Jump Presentation JK -Gr. 3

February 7: Gr. 8 Grad Photos

February 20: Family Day ~ No School

If your child will

be ABSENT OR

LATE:

Please call:

905-656-5970,

and leave a

message.

The machine is

available for

messages 24/7

School Times Supervision Begins:

7:55 Entry Bell:

8:10 Recess:

9:50-10:20 Lunch:

12:00-1:00 Dismissal:

2:40

Before and After School Child

Care~Upper Canada Childcare Operating within Lake Simcoe PS.

Contact Number: 905-535-1448

Hours of Operation: 6:15am-8:15am &

2:40pm-6:00pm Email: lakesimcoe@uppercanadachildcare.com

Website: www.uppercanadachildcare.com To apply for fee assistance contact York Region Sub-

sidy at 905 830 4444.

P A G E 4 J A N 2 0 1 7

To date, our students and staff have discussed and practiced the Character Matters attributes

of Respect, Responsibility, Courage and Empathy. In January we will be concentrating on the

attribute of Optimism. At Lake Simcoe PS, demonstration of optimism could involve:

Believing that effort will improve your future (Growth Mindset)

When bad things happen, think about what you could do to avoid similar bad outcomes in

the future (Restorative Practices, Growth Mindset) Staying motivated, even when things don’t

go well (Growth Mindset)

Staff will continue to teach and encourage a Growth Mindset towards learning, particularly in

the area of math. As always, we continue to appreciate our partnership with parents in

reinforcing school learning at home. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s

teacher.

Nestle Chocolate Fundraiser Thank you for all your support during our fall chocolate fundraiser. We raised $8100!! The

money will go to support technology and modern learning initiatives. Part of the funds

raised have already been used to put in an order for chromebooks, laptops and iPads to

support our learning here at LSPS. We’d like to take this opportunity to say a special thank

you to Ms. Hill and all the staff who helped facilitate the distribution and collection of

chocolates and money. Another BIG thank you to the students and parents who worked so

hard selling chocolates! We truly appreciate the time and effort it takes to fundraise for our

school.

Thank you for all your generous support! We could not have done it without

our community. Sincerely, Mr. Titus and Mr. Herbert

Optimism comes from the Latin word optimus, meaning "best," which

describes how an optimistic person is always looking for the best in

any situation and expecting good things to happen. Optimism is the

tendency to believe, expect or hope that things will turn out well.

Character Trait of the Month: OPTIMISM

Lake Simcoe PS would like to thank everyone who

donated food, clothing and toys to our Holiday Drive. We

received an overwhelming amount of donations to

support some of our families in our community during the

holidays.

Your kindness and generousity made a difference for the

families.

P A G E 5

L A K E S I M C O E P S

ALL parents

and visitors

MUST report

to the office

upon their

arrival to the

school, to

sign in, and

obtain a

visitors

badge.

We ask that

all parents

wait outside

for their

children, and

if you need

to speak to

your child's

teacher,

please send

a note or call

their voice-

mail/office to

request an

appoint-

ment.

We

appreciate

your support

in keeping

our students

safe!

Kindergarten Registration ~2017/2018 Kindergarten Registration will commence on January 20th for the

2017-2018 school year. Children born in 2013 are eligible for Junior

Kindergarten.

Registration forms are available on YRDSB’s website:

www.yrdsb.ca or in the school office.

All documentation must be submitted and completed before

your child can be enrolled.

Documents required for registration include:

Proof of child’s age (ex/ birth certificate/passport)

Proof of residency (ex/ property tax bill, lease agreement,

notice of tax assessment)

Citizenship and immigration status (if

applicable)

A kindergarten information session for

parents is being planned for the spring

time. For more information please visit

the YRDSB website or contact the

school office.

Gr. 1 French Immersion Registration

Grade 1 French Immersion Information Night at Keswick Public

School

Thursday January 19 @ 7 pm

Registration begins Friday

January 20.

P A G E 6

Parents or guardians of Senior Kindergarten students entering Grade 1 in 2017, and

wishing to enrol in the FI Program, can visit or call the school office and request an Office

Index Card ‐ short version.

The Office Index Card must be signed by the Principal/Vice Principal of the home

school. Parents/guardians then take this form, along with one piece of identification

showing their address to the designated FI program location to register between

January 20 and February 10, 2017. This eliminates the need to provide duplicate

enrollment information or to preregister.

YRDSB’s FI Accommodation Plan provides long-term consistency and equity of access to

all students in York Region and will enable YRDSB to continue to offer the FI program to

all who wish to enrol. The FI program will be offered in Dual Track or Single Track settings,

in a variety of configurations. In order to meet community needs and optimize available

space in our schools, a community's Grade 1-8 FI program may be provided over more

than one school during the course of a student's FI education. This will allow flexibility in

addressing community needs and the opportunity to use existing space in schools. More

information is available on the Board’s website: www.yrdsb.ca. Please note: Some of the

FI accommodation plans will require facility modifications or the development of new

schools and will require short-term transition plans that might include overflow while we

work toward the long-term vision. Overflow refers to situations in which the Board directs

students to attend a school other than their community school or optional program for a

specific period of time, as defined in Policy #108.

Gr. 1 French Immersion Registration Cont’d

Winter Reminder

Students are to come to school ready for winter and prepared to be outdoors up to 40

minutes after lunch. When temperatures and/or wind chill reach minus 20 degrees Celcius,

we consider an indoor routine for recess. When temperatures and/or wind chill reach minus

18-19 degrees Celcius, we consider a shortened outdoor routine for recess/events.

Please make sure that your children are dressed properly for our

invigorating winter days. It is advisable for students to bring extra pants and

socks. A change is often necessary due to the wet and cold weather of

the winter months. To avoid adding to our clothing collection in the Lost

and Found, please be sure to label all articles of clothing.

Boots, hats, mitts/gloves, scarves, and snow pants for the

younger children will help make recess an enjoyable time.

Please take a moment to review the outdoor winter rules with your child to

ensure everyone's safety outside, found on the next page.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.

School Bus Cancellation Reminders

To ensure the safety of students, school bus

service may be cancelled from time to time

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 drivers. 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.

School bus routes may be cancelled when severe weather is not affecting all

municipalities in York Region. Both the YRDSB and YCDSB operate 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 methodology.

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 cancellation information: RADIO

590 AM 640 AM 680 AM 860 AM 1010 AM 1050 AM 1540AM 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 107.1 FM TELEVISION

CITY TV CTV Barrie CFTO TV CP24 GLOBAL NEWS A bus cancellation message will also be available at www.schoolbuscity.com and by call-

ing 1-877-330-3001, or by following the YCDSB and YRDSB on twitter.

Please note that school bus charters for fieldtrips will not operate when buses are cancelled

due to inclement weather.

LUNCH BOX ORDERS DO NOT RUN ON SNOW DAYS!!

News from our School Parent Council

Please join us on Thursday, February 2 @ 6:30pm at The Gem to watch Trolls!

Admission is $3. Bring your family and friends for a fun night out!

Our Grade 8's will be back at Boston Pizza on Monday, January 30 and

Tuesday, February 21. Come out for dinner and support our future

graduates as they raise money for their special night.

Hot lunch orders are in full swing! Make sure to register and order at http:// www.lunchboxorders.com/

Do you have a suggestion or some feedback? Feel free to message our

Facebook Page (Lake Simcoe Public School Parent Council) or send us an

email at lspspc@gmail.com

Our next Parent Council meeting takes place on Tuesday, January 24 @

7pm in the library. All are welcome!

Community and Health Services

York Region Public Health Dental Program

Dental screening is available to children 17 years of age and under in all York

Region elementary schools and at York Region Public Health dental clinics.

Children from families in financial hardship may be eligible for free dental care

through the Healthy Smiles Ontario Program.

If you have oral health questions or concerns, speak with a registered York

Region Public Health dental, by calling Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653,

TTY 1-866-512-6228 Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, visit york.ca/dental . This material is provided by York

Region Public Health.

Because the early years matter

The Nippising District Developmental Screen (NDDS) is a simple

checklist to help you identify if your child is developing as

expected. The questions measure your child’s abilities in a

number of key areas. There are also suggested activities to

prepare your child for the next stage of development.

If one or more responses are marked no, talk to a health care or

child care professional about your concerns; early identification

and intervention will increase your child’s ability to reach his or her full potential.

The NDDS is available free of charge for 13 developmental stages – from one month to six

years of age. For more information, visit ndds.ca To receive email reminders for next screens

at each stage of your child’s development, visit endds.com to register.

This material is provided by York Region Public Health.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

First Day back

to School

Lice Checks

10 11

Anti-Bullying

Magic Show

12 13 14

15 16

Lice Rechecks

17 18 19

Math & Music

Night ~ 6:30-

8:30pm

Everyone one

is welcome!

20

PA Day ~ No

School

Kindergarten

Reg. Begins

21

22

Gr. 4-6

Electives

Forms due

23

Earth Rangers

Presentation

JK-Gr.3

24 25 26

Electives Day

~ Gr. 4-6

27 28

29 30 Please call 905-656-5970

to report any absences

or lates.

Winter Break Continues