Principal’s Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

October has been a month of learning, working hard and having fun here at

Edith Cavell. Our students had some great experiential learning opportunities

at Bry-Ann Farms, Rodman Hall and with the firefighters. They had hands on

activities, deep conversations and eye-opening presentations that will help to

support their learning and decision making throughout their lives.

Not only have our students been learning but the staff as well. The October PD

Day was spent examining our school data and looking at instructional practices

in mathematics. We worked in teams, as pairs and individually to build our

own abilities to be teachers and leaders in the school. It was a day full of

brain-stretching thinking! We have another PD Day coming up on November 14

and we will continue our mathematical journey that day as well.

We are hoping that you are noticing your child speaking about math and learn-

ing math in a different way than you might have. This is a good thing!! Kids

are being given the opportunities to develop a deep understanding of how

math "works" so that they can apply their knowledge to a variety of situations.

Ask them what they did in math one day and see if they can explain it to you,

then challenge them by giving them a math question. You will be amazed by

their answer!

We will be honouring our veterans and current soldiers on November 11 in a

very special Remembrance Day ceremony at 10:30am. Please come on over

and join us in the gym to pay your respects for their sacrifices. Students will

be given the opportunity to donate spare change for a poppy to wear that day.

Me to We! Students in Mr. Crowe's grade 3/4 class have been working hard to

raise money for the "Free the Children" organization. Part of the organizations'

activities is to provide Third World countries with the resources to access clean

water, food, housing and schooling. Mr. Crowe's class has decided that they

would like to raise money to support the access to food and so they are running

monthly spirit days. These days are being held on the last Friday of each

month and students can participate for $1.00. The goal is to reach $50.00

each month and purchase 10 goats from "Free the Children". For more infor-

mation, visit www.freethechildren.com

As always, thank you for your continued support of your

children and our school community!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Kosh

November 2014

Mark Your Calendars

Nov. 5 - Parent Involve-ment Committee Con-ference at Eden High

School 4 - 8pm

Nov. 6 - Progress Reports go home Nov. 10 - Rocks & Rings Nov. 11 - Remembrance

Day Nov. 11 - Progress Reports Interviews Nov. 12 - Sharon, Bram & Friends Concert Nov. 14 - PA Day No school for students Nov. 18 - Ice Dogs Assembly Nov. 20 - Me to We Day in Toronto Nov. 28 - Crazy Hair Day

EDITH CAVELL PUBLIC SCHOOL

1 Monck Street

St. Catharines, ON L2S 1L5

905-684-6545

www.dsbn.edu.on.ca/schools/edithcavell

Principal: Mrs. K. Kosh Superintendent: Kelly Pisek

GO Girls!

The girls in Mrs. Penney’s

class will be participating in

an exciting new program run

by Big Brother’s and Big Sis-

ter’s Club Tuesdays at first

break. Go Girls! Healthy Bod-

ies, Healthy Minds is an ex-

citing mentoring program to

make informed choices about

active living, balanced eating

and feeling good!

Page 2 November 2014

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause transporta-tion cancellations or school closures. At times when student transportation has been cancelled and schools re-main open, the decision of whether or not to have children in school on that day rests with the parent or guard-ian. Should you decide not to send your child to school in the event that transportation is cancelled but schools remain open, or if your child is ill or late, please ensure that you call your child’s school to inform them of your child’s absence. A key resource in any emergency is the DSBN Emergency Information form that you filled out at the beginning of the school year. Please let the school know of any changes in contact information or procedures you wish to be followed throughout the school year. Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will be available as soon as it is available through the following channels: Websites: Subscription Features: www.dsbn.org DSBN Facebook or Twitter www.nsts.ca NSTS Transportation Delay or Cancellation Alerts Phone: Niagara Student Transportation Services 905-346-0290 Voice Auto Attendant Radio Stations: Television Stations: CKTB (610 AM) St. Catharines CHRE (105.7 FM) St. Catharines CH – Hamilton CHML(900AM) Hamilton K-LITE-FM (102.9 FM) Hamilton CityTV Breakfast Television WAVE (94.7 FM) Hamilton CHTZ-FM (97.7 FM) St. Catharines Cogeco Channel 10 CHAM(820AM) Hamilton GIANT FM (91.7 FM) Welland CKOC (1150 AM) Hamilton CKEY (105.1 FM) Niagara Falls/Fort Erie Y-108(107.9) Hamilton

Game ON!

The Grade 6 boys will be par-

ticipating in Game ON! on

Mondays at first break. Game

on ! provides boys with the

information and support

needed to make informed

choices about healthy lifestyle

practices. Through non-

traditional physical activities

the boys will learn life skills,

communication and emotional

health.

Clubs around the school

At Edith Cavell we have a number

of extra-curricluar activities to

keep our students happy and ac-

tive. Check out a few clubs that

your child could be a part of:

∙ Stacking club with Mrs. Benson

∙ Choir with Mrs. Blackburn

∙ Computer Club with Mrs. Edgar

∙ Dodge ball Intramurals with

Mrs. Penney

Volleyball

Thank you to all the students who tried out for Junior Volleyball. This year we will have a co-ed

volleyball team. The team will be announced shortly and will begin practices in early November. We

look forward to expanding our knowledge and enjoyment of the game this season!

Page 3 November 2014

Remembrance Day ~ Lest We Forget

In preparation for our observance of Remembrance Day on November 11th, we are asking our families

to share with us stories of family members, living or dead, who participated in the World Wars, Ko-

rean Conflict, or any other peacekeeping missions throughout the world. We will be sending home a

sheet where you can provide any details about their time of service.

At our November 11th Assembly, we plan to display this information in our gym so students will gain a

deeper sense of how those who have helped protect, are connected to our community. We hope this

will help generate meaningful conversation. We invite family, friends and members of the community

to join us for our Remembrance Day Assembly. If you know of any veterans who will be joining us,

please let the office know so that they can be recognized.

ABSENCES, LATES, SIGN-IN & SIGN-OUT…

The whereabouts and safety of your child is very important to us. It is essential for us to know when your child is absent from school. Please phone the school 905-684-6545. We have an answering machine if we are not able to answer the phone and for after school hours calls, please leave a message. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Any unexplained absence will be checked using our call-back system. We will be calling home/work to find out where the child is.

Being on time for school is an important habit to teach your child. We stress the need for every student to be at school on time in order to not miss important lessons or information being shared and it disrupts the class who have already begun their lesson learning. Students who are late must report to the office to get a late slip for their teacher.

Students who need to leave the school during school hours must be signed out by a parent or guardian at the office. There is a binder in the office for Sign Out purposes. When you return your child to school you must accompany them to the office to sign them back in.

Address and Phone Number Changes

Please advise the office of any address and phone number changes. It is very important

that this information is kept up to date, in case of emergencies and we need to call home.

INFLUENZA PREVENTION - Stop the spread of Infection

Flu season is upon us. Our school community is working to prevent the spread of germs in order to keep students and staff healthy. We have hand sanitizer available in all

classrooms and our caretaking staff are following a rigorous cleaning program. We need to work together to prevent the spread of germs and ask that you reinforce these simple

steps at home:

Stay home when sick - Your child should be without fever (without the aid of fever-reducing medi-cations) for 24-hours before returning to school. Please keep your child at home and away from

others if he or she has any of these symptoms; fever, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, frequent cough-

ing or sneezing, yellow or green discharge from the nose, ears, or eyes and sore throat. Con-

tact your family doctor for advice about care and treatment.

Wash hands frequently - Encourage regular hand cleaning with both soap and water for at least 15

seconds, or an alcohol-based hand rub, rubbing hands until they are dry. Be sure to set a good ex-

ample by doing this yourself. Cover your cough or sneeze - Teach and practice proper sneeze and cough etiquette; cough or

sneeze into your elbow, not your hands. Avoid close contact with sick people. Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth, as germs spread this way. Clean surfaces often, including counters, fridge handles, faucet taps, bathrooms, railings, com-

puter keyboards, and telephones. Flu vaccination clinics are once again being offered by Public Health. For information visit: http://

www.niagararegion.ca/living/health_wellness/flu/flu-clinic-schedule.aspx

November 2014 Page 4

Cross Country Mr. Smith, Ms. Brown and Miss Hiscoe are extremely proud of the great effort made by the

Edith Cavell Cross Country Team. Runners worked extremely hard building their stamina for

their big race at Burgoyne Woods. Overall, our team represented Edith Cavell with a positive

attitude, and excellent sportsmanship, as they cheered their team-mates on. Congratulations

to our runners who set goals to beat their personal best

times. All athletes represented Edith

Cavell well.

2014 Cross Country

Team

Mason C., Syeth M.,

Dakota B., Asmara ,

Ethan P., Owen P.,

Nick C., Emily M.,

Taylor M.

The Elementary Progress Report

On November 6th your child will bring home their Elementary Progress Report. The format was created after years of consultation with parents, teachers, principals, and students across the province. Although it looks much like the Report Card, this report has a very different intent. The purpose of the Progress Report is to share early and specific feedback on your child's devel-opment of work habits and learning skills as well as his/her progress towards achieving the cur-

riculum standards by the end of the school year.

Traditionally, when reporting to parents about their child’s progress, teachers have prepared by looking back over the work done. The teacher evaluated your child’s pro-gress from the beginning of the school term to the current point in time, and reported on the highlights of achievement as they compare to overall curricular expectations. Teachers continue to report on Provincial Term One and Term Two Report Cards in this

manner.

Reporting on the Progress Report is about looking forward. The purpose is to set the course for the learning journey ahead. Based on the evidence teachers see, as well as what teachers know about learning at this grade level, the report communicates the path your child is on towards achieving the grade level expectations by the end of

the year. For students who are on a modified Individual Education Program, the teacher uses those modified goals when determining whether a child is progressing well, progressing very well,

or progressing with difficulty.

All subjects that are part of your child’s program in the first weeks of school will be assessed ac-

cording to the following indicators:

Progressing Very Well: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is demon-strating consistent progress and is on track to meet and/or surpass the provincial standard set for

the end of the year.

Progressing Well: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is demonstrating

consistent progress and is on track to meet the provincial standard set for the end of the year.

Progressing With Difficulty: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is ex-

periencing difficulty towards meeting the provincial standard set for the end of the year.

For subjects in which your child is Progressing With Difficulty, the teacher will discuss specific next steps plans needed for success. We look forward to partnering with you and your child for a year of great learning and growth.

November 2014 Page 5

Progress Reports

Your child(ren)’s Progress Report(s) will be going home on November 6th. Parent teacher in-

terviews will take place on Tuesday November 11th, starting at 4pm. Further information to

follow.