Is Spring finally here? The calendar says “yes” but, we hope that the weather cooperates…We would like to officially welcome Mr. Geniole as our new Lead caretaker. Mr. Geniole started at the end of February . We said goodbye to Mrs. Shedden at the end of March as she retired. We wish her well! We have been continuing to work on the goals identified in our School Improvement Plan. In order to monitor our school improvement, we need to collect data to give us a better understanding of our students’ achievement in reading and their strengths and needs. Staff have been analyzing their classroom data and making needed mid-course adjustments. We continue to work on developing rich tasks to engage our students in all areas of the curriculum. In collaboration with many elementary schools in the area, we will be offering two parent workshops evenings at Lakeside PS this month. Please see the flyer included in this newsletter for details. There is also information on our website. The first of these workshops will be an information session about the “Zones of Regulation”. We included information in our March newsletter about this program and this workshop would be an excellent opportunity for anyone wanting more information on this topic. The second workshop will be a “Triple P” session focused on Raising Confident, Competent Children.”

Happy Spring Everyone! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact the office! Liz Davis Jane Inglis Principal Vice Principal

Dates to Remember

Apr. 5 Fairwood celebrates World Autism Day Apr. 7 Kindergarten trip to Horton Tree Farm Parent workshop @ Lakeside PS Apr. 12 School Council Apr. 13 Beauty & the Beast tickets go on sale Apr. 21 Welcome to Kindergarten Night Apr. 22 Earth Day Apr. 19 Junior Boys Basketball Tournament Apr. 20 Junior Girls Basketball Tournament Apr. 28 Parent workshop @ Lakeside PS

The Fairwood Flyer

Principal: Liz Davis Telephone: 905-476-5447 Fax: 905-476-4345 Vice-Principal: Jane Inglis www.fairwood.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca Superintendent: Dianne Hawkins, 905-895-5155 April 2016 Trustee: Nancy Elgie: 905-476-4184

From the Administrative Team

.

Initiative

“The important thing is to concentrate

upon what you can do - by yourself,

upon your own initiative.”

- Harry Browne

School Improvement Plan

Literacy/Numeracy Deliver Effective Literacy and Math Assessment

Instruction Across the Curriculum

Programs/Pathways Partnerships to support academic, social and

emotional growth of our students

Community, Cultures & Caring Promote Student, Staff and Parent Engagement in

a Safe, Healthy, and Respectful Workplace

COUNCIL CORNER

Our next School Council Meeting is April 12th at 6:30 pm in the Library. Please join us!

A reminder about our Booster Juice program which is offered every Tuesday at morning recess and our hot dog lunch which is offered the first Tuesday of every month. For both of these programs, all items must be pre-ordered and we cannot do any sales on the actual day. Forms are available on the school Facebook page and in the office. Fairwood’s Annual Fun Fair is taking place on Thursday June 2nd from 5:00 to 8:00pm. We are looking for parent volunteers to assist at the event. Please contact Cindy Backus.

Healthy Schools UPDATE

We have started up our “Walking Wednesdays again this year. Every Wednesday, during morning recess we walk around the school as a form of daily physical activity. We encourage all of our students to walk to school on a regular basis. We are currently in the middle of Junior Basketball season. The Jr. girls basketball tournament is April 20th and the Jr. boys bas-ketball tournament is April 19th. The Badminton team will start up in May.

GRADE 8 GRAD FUNDRAISING

We have been doing fundraising for our Grade 8 graduation in June. We have had a bake sale and an Easter Basket Raffle and now we are participating in the Boston Pizza Celebrity Server Fundraiser! When you visit the Keswick Boston Pizza location on the dates listed below between 5:00 and 8:00 pm, our grade 8 students will be serving. 10% of food sales from these evenings go towards our grade 8 graduation! So come on out and feed the whole family on: Tues. April 5 Tues. April 19 Tues. May 3 Tues. May 17 Tues. June 7 Looking forward to seeing you there!

TRIPLE P TIP OF THE MONTH:

Coping with Stress

Being a parent is busy and demanding and it’s normal to feel stressed at times. How-ever, if parents have a high level of stress, it can be hard for them to deal with their children’s behavior calmly and may be less likely to spend time with them. Children are likely to grow up happy and learn what’s expected of them when parents are consistently calm. KEY STEPS: - Think about helpful changes you can make to your lifestyle - Try to notice tension early - Find a relaxation technique that suits you and use it when you feel tense - Think of coping statements to say to your-self when stressful situations arise - Make sure you believe what you are say-ing to yourself - Catch and challenge any unhelpful thoughts that increase your stress and re-place them with more realistic or helpful ways of thinking about the situation

EARTH DAY Earth Day is April 22nd this year. It’s Earth Day’s 46th anniversary this year. You can celebrate by: Walk, ride your bike or scooter to school Participate in a community clean up event Pack a litterless lunch Recharge and recycle you batteries Reduce electricity—turn off lights and electronics when you leave a room

FAIRWOOD YEARBOOK

Thank you again to the Bando family for creating our yearbook!

If you would like to forward any pictures you have

taken throughout the year, please use this address:

thefairwoodfalcon@gmail.com

The Beauty and the Beast actors, dancers, chorus, and behind-the-scenes crew have clocked dozens of rehearsal hours, and they have a show for YOU! Mark your calendars! This is a Fairwood Production you won’t want to miss! Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 13, 2016. Your child will receive an order form.

We hope to see YOU at one of our evening performances:

Wednesday, May 11 or Thursday, May 12 @ 7pm.

AUTISM AWARENESS Autism Awareness Week calls attention to Autism Spectrum Disorder and how it affects so many people around the world—not only those diagnosed with Autism, but also their families, friends and others who interact with them. World Autism Day is Saturday, April 2nd. Fairwood will be honouring World Autism Day on Tuesday, April 5th. We would like to ask all students, their families and staff members to participate in “Light It Up Blue” by wearing blue on that day. At Fairwood PS we strive to create a caring learning environment that supports the challenges and successes that make each of us unique and special. Together we can make a difference! We invite our Fairwood Family to learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorders with their classes by reading stories, watching videos, researching on the Internet, sharing with one another, and most importantly, being good friends with their fellow students! Autism Spectrum Disorder presents itself in unique ways. There is great diversity in terms of needs and strengths, along with wonderful gifts and hidden treasures to be discovered and shared. Thank you Fairwood families for taking that journey with us.

Board Policies and Procedures Policies and procedures govern the operation of the Board and our school. To ensure they remain current, the Board reviews policies and procedures on a regular cycle. Seeking feedback from staff and community members, including parents/guardians, is an important part of the review process. All policies available for comment are sent to school council chairs, and are posted on the Board website along with information about how to provide feedback. The policies currently available for comment include:

Student Accommodation Review (comments due by April 25) Anaphylactic Reactions (comments due by August 25) Respectful Workplace and Learning Environment (comments due by August 25) Environmental Responsibility (comments due by January 2, 2017) Appointment of Community Members to Board Committees (comments due by January

2, 2017) To learn more, visit www.yrdsb.ca/aboutus/policy/.

Parking Lot

Safety! Thank you to all the Fairwood families who have remembered to follow our Kiss and Ride Program guidelines. The driveways are busy places and safety is our primary concern. Kiss and Ride Guidelines: In the morning , pull into the Kiss and Ride lane outside the Kindergarten area and Move up as far as possible. Cars CANNOT be left unattended in this spot. Your child should exit the vehicle quickly

and walk safely to the back of the school on the sidewalk.

JK/SK ‘ s will enter the kindergarten yard. Please do not leave your cars parked here! Proceed out of the Kiss and Ride lane as

soon as it is safe to do so REMEMBER! The front driveway is for buses and is only ONE WAY! Please don’t block the entrance! Please DO NOT ENTER through the exit

driveway as this creates a safety hazard for our children!

The bus lane is a NO PARKING ZONE AND FIRE ROUTE Please find a parking spot if you need to

get out of your car

The York Region District School Board Summer Institute is a program that offers academic, recreational and athletic programs and activities with intentional links to the Ontario Curriculum for children and youth entering Senior Kindergarten to Grade 8. Programs are offered at in Richmond Hill, Markham, Stouffville, Newmarket, Woodbridge, Vaughan and Georgina from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm Summer Institute Locations Map. YMCA Before and Aftercare Registration; programs available at all locations

Weekly Sessions July 4, 2016 to August 12, 2016

For registration information and to see what types of exciting programs are being offered this summer, please visit www.yrdsb.ca and select programs and services.

For additional information please email performanceplus.si@yrdsb.ca or call 905-884-2046 ext. 241.