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April Review

Junior students prepared and

presented at our Responsibility

assembly. Presentations in-

cluded a slide show, Q & A and

a skit. Well done Britannia!

School Council is planning for

our Spring Fair on Saturday

May 27 from 11am to 3pm—rain

or shine. If you would like to

get involved, please call Mrs.

Berndt or Mrs. Coyle.

Our school’s Youth Officer, Offi-

cer Billy, presented to our Grade

1 to 5 classes over 3 days. Pri-

mary classes had presentations

on staying safe in the commu-

nity. Our junior classes learned

about online safety and using

the Internet appropriately.

April was Autism Awareness Month.

Two teachers, Mr. Di Filippis and

Ms. Williams Dale organized many

activities and events throughout the

month to raise awareness and raise

money to support students with Au-

tism. We raised over $500 to support

camps for students and to purchase

special equipment to be used by stu-

dents with Autism in our school.

Well done!

Britannia recognized International

Day of Pink on April 10. Our school

was a sea of pink—to celebrate diver-

sity and acceptance of others.

Stefani Burosch from the MEHRIT

centre did a presentation for Britan-

nia parents on Self-Regulation.

Thank you to the School Council for

organizing such an informative and

interesting presentation.

Kellie Berndt Principal

Carol Coyle Vice Principal

Lynn Clayton Office

Manager

Ivana Mercante Office

Assistant

Jamie Robertson Superintendent

Robert Crocker

Rick Williams

Trustees

Sarah Jambaro-

Martin

School Council

Chair

Serving Britannia PS

May

Newsletter 2017

BRITANNIA PUBLIC SCHOOL

1145 Swinbourne Dr., Mississauga, ON, L5V 1C2

905-814-1146

http://schools.peelschools.org/1543

@BritanniaPS

To report your child absent :

1-855-209-6155

OR create an account at

pdsb.schoolconnects.com

Important Dates

May 8—Kyle Dine allergy presentation (9:00 am and 9:40 am)

May 8—Music Monday (postponed from May 1—11:15 am)

May 16– Healthy Snack Day (from School Council)

May 19—Volunteer Tea

May 23-26—Grade 3 EQAO

May 24—Start with a Smile (For new Kindergarten students starting in September)

May 26—Asian Heritage Assembly

May 27—Spring Fair 11 am—3 pm

May 30—Pride Assembly

Character Trait— Inclusion

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Keeping children safe in and around storm sewers, waterways

Rising and fast moving water in lakes, ponds and creeks is increasingly likely during spring. Children playing in and around storm sewers and watercourses, entering storm sewers through the outfalls, and entering storm sewers through access covers is dangerous. The following information will help keep children safe:

water flows in storm sewers and watercourses are unpredictable and may change quickly

toxic gases may be present in and around storm sewers and watercourses

access is restricted, making rescue attempts are difficult

tragic falls could take place

Please review this information with your children and let them know how dangerous storms sewers and waterways are.

Peel board celebrates public education during Education Week – May 1 to 5

Peel public schools will host hundreds of special activities and events to celebrate Education Week 2017. To give schools plenty of time to hold activities, this celebration of education will be held from May 1 to 5. The theme for this year's focus on education is We Inspire Hope.

In addition to inviting parents and community residents to visit their classrooms during the week, Peel schools are hosting open houses, plays/musicals, storytelling, environmental activities, awards assemblies, talent shows and much more.

One of the highlights of Education Week is the presentation of Awards of Excellence. The award recipients are students, volunteers, staff and community partners who have made outstanding contributions to public edu-cation in Peel. The awards will be presented to 31 deserving recipients at the Showcase of Excellence cere-mony on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the boardroom, HJA Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario St., Missis-sauga.

More than 800 individuals will also be honoured during Education Week with Awards of Distinction for their contributions to their school or workplace.

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It’s time to register children born in 2013 for kindergarten We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2013, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2017. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school he/she will be attending to register.

What you will need to bring to registration

Proof of child's age (one of the following)

Canadian birth certificate

Canadian passport

citizenship card/certificate

Permanent Resident Card

confirmation of permanent residence

work permit

refugee permit

Proof of address (one of the following)

Ontario driver's license

utility bill

bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution)

credit card statement

federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents)

purchase agreement

Proof of custody – children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation supports an alternate living arrangement

Proof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated

Britannia Public School puts the spotlight on Asian Heritage

In December 2001, the Senate adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official decla-ration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.

Throughout May, students, staff and parents from across Peel will participate in a number of activities that promote the understanding of the many contributions made by Asian Canadians.

Please join us for our Asian Heritage assembly on Friday, May 26 in Gym 1.

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The safety of our students is our top priority

Throughout the school year, incidents in our school communities happen. Our staff take precautions to empha-size street-proofing skills with your child. However, we feel that it is important that you take an opportunity to review safety procedures with your child.

Peel Police have provided the following safety guidelines if your child encounters a stranger:

Tell your children to never go anywhere with a stranger, not to talk to strangers and never take anything from them. You also have to teach them what a "safe stranger" is in case they need help. A safe stranger in-cludes a police officer, a cashier, a fire fighter, etc.

Remind your child to never walk alone—always walk with a group.

Develop a "what if" game for the kids to get them thinking of how they would respond if they felt threatened or afraid.

Know who your children play with and where they go. This includes keeping a list of their friend's addresses and phone numbers.

Remind your children not to take short cuts through parks, ravines, or other secluded areas.

Your child's body is private. Tell your child that no one may touch the area their bathing suit covers. If some-one does or tries to touch them, they should advise you immediately.

Teach your children to talk to you immediately when someone does anything that makes them feel strange or uncomfortable. Listen when your children are trying to tell you about something that bothers them and provide them with support and understanding.

Tips for riding the bus:

Take a seat as quickly as possible, put belongings under the seat and stay seated.

Never stick anything out of the window, including part of your body.

Refrain from eating on the bus. If a choking incident occurs, the driver may not be able to help immediately.

Wait until the school bus stops before standing up to exit the vehicle.

Tips for exiting the bus:

When getting off the bus, take two large steps away from bus. If you have to walk in front of the bus, do so at least three metres (10 giant steps) away from the bus.

The driver must be able to see students exiting the bus and will give a signal when it is safe to cross. If more than one student is crossing in front of the bus at the same time, they should cross in single file.

Children must never reach for something that is under the bus without the driver’s permission. Let the driver know that something is under the bus or wait until the bus moves out of the way.

Tips for walking to school:

Help your child establish a safe, direct route to school. Avoid potential safety hazards such as train tracks, busy intersections, and reinforce what safety precautions to follow.

Stay on sidewalks whenever possible. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road and walk facing traffic.

Cross streets at intersections and at crosswalks and learn to look to the left, the right, and the left again be-fore proceeding.

Wait until traffic comes to a stop before crossing. Make sure drivers see you before you cross. Don't assume the driver will stop for you.

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Bus delays, cancellation information available on STOPR website

At the Peel District School Board, we are committed to providing safe and efficient transportation ser-vices for our students to and from school every day. Transportation staff do their best to ensure that buses arrive and leave on time, but sometimes, delays happen.

Information about delays may not always be available through the school, especially if they happen outside of the school day. The best place for find information about bus delays and cancellations, as they happen, is the Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) website at www.storpr.ca. To find information specific to your child's bus, you will need the bus route number.

Health and Physical Education Curriculum supports the physical, emotional and

social well-being of students

Working together to keep our students safe and healthy

The Peel District School Board implemented the Ministry of Education’s revised Health and Physical Education (HPE)

curriculum in the 2015-16 school year. The curriculum is divided into four elements that work together to support the

physical, emotional and social well-being of students:

* active living * living skills

* movement competence * healthy living

Peel staff will again teach the human development and sexual health component to students, beginning spring 2017.

This provides time for teachers to develop strong relationships with their students prior to this phase.

Advance notice letters will be sent home with students two weeks prior to the human development/sexual health les-

sons. Families can submit religious accommodation requests at any time prior to the lesson by contacting the school

directly.

To get more information on how the HPE curriculum will be taught, please visit our website at www.peelschools.org/

HPE.

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SafeArrival: Reporting absences and lates

Every day counts—attendance matters!

Regular school attendance is an important factor in your child’s school success. Research shows that chronic absenteeism (missing 2 days per month for a total of 20 days per year) can negatively impact your child’s learning. Getting to class on time and avoiding absences are critical if your child is to get the most out of school.

In the event that your child won’t be attending school, please be sure to report your child(ren)’s absences prior to the start of the school day. Late arrivals and/or early departures should be reported as soon as possi-ble.

SafeArrival will allow you to report your child(ren)’s absences quickly and conveniently in one of three ways:

1. You can call into an automated, interactive telephone system via a toll free number— 1-855-209-6155.

2. You can log into a website, pdsb.schoolconnects.com, to access a SafeArrival Parent Portal. An account can be set up to report absences.

3. You can download the SafeArrival mobile application for Apple and Android devices.

If your child’s absence is not reported in advance, the automated notification system will contact parents/guardians at multiple contact numbers until one of the designated contacts is reached to verify the absence. If our automated system is unable to reach a designated contact, office staff will follow up.

Please ensure you complete the reporting process by recording the confirmation number provided at the end of your call. If you do not receive a confirmation number, the absence will not be recorded by the automated system.

If you have any questions, please contact the school at 905-814-1146.

Children’s Mental Health Week - May 1 to 7

Ontario has designated the week of May 1 to 7, 2017, as Children’s Mental Health Week. Children's Mental Health Week focuses on increasing awareness of the signs of child and youth mental health problems, de-creasing stigma and understanding that help is available and treatment can work.

Using themes such as Eat, Sleep, Move, and Positive Relationships, students will participate in learning and activities that promote well-being throughout the week.

At the Peel District School Board, fostering student well-being and positive mental health is just as important as creating comprehensive academic programs. Within the Peel board our strength is in our diversity. Valu-ing diversity and inclusion is something that all Peel schools encourage students and staff to do. It is not something that we pause to teach—it is embedded in all we do and teach every day. Recognizing Children’s Mental Health Week is just one way for us to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, helping us achieve equity for all students and staff.

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What you need to know about head lice

What is head lice?

Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp where they lay their eggs. They have three stages: the egg (nit), the nymph and the adult. Head lice do not spread diseases and cannot be spread between animals or pets and humans, only through direct contact between people.

Head lice spread easily, especially where people are in close contact. They are very common among school-aged children or children attending child care, where they spread through direct hair-to-hair contact or di-rectly by sharing things like hats, combs, hairbrushes or headphones.

One of the first signs of head lice is an itchy scalp. However, children can have head lice for several weeks with no symptoms. If you think your child has head lice, check their hair for nits right away, then again after one week and after two weeks.

What to do if your child has lice

Parents are advised to keep their child at home until they have been treated for lice. Students may only re-turn to school if they are “nit-free.” If your child has live lice, ensure that they avoid head-to-head contact with other children until the lice are gone. Children should not share combs, hairbrushes, caps, hats or hair ornaments. You should also check all family members for head lice. Be sensitive to your child’s feelings and let them know that having head lice does not mean they are not clean.

Head lice can be treated with the following approved insecticides:

pyrethrin (found in R&C Shampoo + Conditioner)

permethrin (Nix Creme Rinse or Kwellada-P Creme Rinse)

lindane (Hexit Shampoo or PMS-Lindane Shampoo).

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Register today for Adult ESL or LINC classes Do you know an adult that is interested in improving their English language skills for work, study or daily life?

Through the Continuing & Adult Education department, the Peel District School Board offers a wide variety of English language classes that help parents experience success in Canadian English in both listening/speaking and reading/writing. Courses are designed for a range of basic, intermediate and advanced English (Levels 1 to 7) as well as the more experienced learner needing to prepare for an IELTS exam.

Classes are ongoing - Register anytime.

All learners that complete a session will earn a certificate of learning from the Peel District School Board.

Classes operate from six locations in Brampton and Mississauga with three specially designed adult centres at:

Bramalea - Adult Education Centre - 25 Kings Cross Road, Unit 3

Brampton - Adult Education Centre - #300 - 7700 Hurontario Street

Mississauga - Adult Education Centre - 100 Elm Drive West, Room 117

To learn more or to register, call 905-270-6000. Also visit www.peelschools.org/adulteducation or follow us on Twit-

ter: @PDSBLearnESL

May 7 to 13 is Emergency Preparedness Week What is Emergency Preparedness Week? The first full week of May of each year is Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week. This year, we will celebrate EP week May 7 to May 13. EP Week is a nation-wide initiative to increase awareness about individual and family preparedness, emphasizing how the public can reduce the risks and consequences of an emergency by being better prepared. During this week, we promote, educate and bring about awareness concerning emergency management planning and personal preparedness. This year, the theme is Plan. Prepare. Be Aware. What is the purpose?

The purpose of EP Week is to educate students, parents and the community about the importance of being prepared in the case of an emergency.

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Keep your child safe around train tracks

Trains are often closer and are moving faster than most motorists and pedestrians perceive. That's why all members of a family should be are aware of the importance of rail safety.

Safety steps for children

Playing on railway tracks and bridges is dangerous. Find safe, supervised and open areas (e.g., neighbour-hood parks) in which to have fun.

The only way to safely cross a rail track is to use designated railway crossings.

If you must cross railway tracks, for example on your way to and from school, stop, look and listen before crossing.

It is against the law to trespass on railway property.

Safety steps for adults

Be prepared to stop at a highway/ railway crossing.

Listen for warning bells and whistles of an approaching train. Turn off, or turn down distracting fans, heaters, music/radios.

Obey the signals. Never attempt to drive under a gate as it is closing or around a closed gate. If the gate begins to close while you’re underneath, keep moving ahead until you clear the crossing.

If a police officer or a member of the train crew is directing traffic at the crossing, obey their directions.

If your vehicle stalls on the tracks, get out quickly and away from the vehicle and tracks. Move in the direc-tion that the train is approaching from to avoid being hit by debris. Your vehicle will be swept forward by the momentum of the train.

Peel schools honour police officers during Police Appreciation Week

The Peel District School Board will pay tribute to police officers by holding Police Appreciation Week from May 14 to 20, 2017. Peel students and staff will show their appreciation for the tremendous job being done by police to protect schools, homes and communities. Police Appreciation Week coincides with National Po-lice Week. National Police Week pays tribute to the work of police officers across Canada.

"The Peel board appreciates the dedication and commitment of police officers who work to keep our schools and communities safe," says Janet McDougald, Peel board chair. "Police Appreciation Week is our way of thanking officers who dedicate themselves to protecting our community. It's also a way to give these officers the special recognition they deserve."

During this week, students, staff and parents in schools throughout Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga will honour the work of police officers and thank them for enhancing public safety and security.