2017 40 New Westminster Drive, Thornhill (905) 738-724 Attendance Line: 905-907-7884 Louis-Honoré Fréchette P.S. www.louishonorefrechette.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca FRÉCHETTE GAZETTE Administrators’ Message The month of February has been filled with many different learning opportunities and activities for our students. Our school-wide foci continue to be developing our problem solving skills and creating positive, inclusive learning environments in support of building foundations in the areas of Math, Mental Health and Modern Learning. Through February we engaged in many activities to promote inclusion, engagement, environmental responsibility and school spirit. In partnership with York Region Public Health, we engaged student ambassadors in Healthy Eating activities and through their leadership we anticipate further learning and capacity building to support our Healthy Schools goals. We continue to celebrate our work with Eco- School initiatives and promoted energy conservation with our ‘Sweater Day’ on February 2nd. In doing so, we reinforced the message of energy conservation. Our volleyball and basketball teams have been very active and successful in the tournaments hosted both at home and ‘away’. Our grade 5 and 6 classes enjoyed field trips to the Community Safety Village and to the Gardiner Museum, respectively. Holmes Elite spent a day with us, working out with us, strengthening our core, and infusing us with some positive energy! As the year progresses we will continue to look forward to supporting and promoting student engagement and school spirit through a continued variety of activities. This month, we are very excited about celebrating our Canadian winter spirit with ‘Carnival’. The week-long celebration promises to embrace all things winter. We also expect a visit (or visits) from Bon Homme! This event provides us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a part of the Fréchette family. Students will enjoy many activities, both indoor and outdoor, and in the Fréchette Family way, funds raised through these events will go to support the Hospital for Sick Children. We have some terrific events in store for this! Finally, our Valentine’s Day dance was another huge success. Each grade was invited to participate in a fun session of dancing and music and we would like to thank our School Council for sponsoring the event. Don’t forget that March Break is fast approaching, March 13th to March 17th. Classes will resume March 20th. We wish you a happy and safe holiday and look forward to receiving our students refreshed and ready to jump into their learning for the remainder of the school year! Respectfully yours, Mme Furlin et Mme Korinis Priorities: Mathematics Modern Learning Mental Health Equity Innovation Leadership Principal: Angie Furlin Vice Principal: Eugenia Korinis Trustees: Susan Geller (905) 882-4179 Superintendent of Schools: Tod Dungey (905) 764-6830 DATES TO REMEMBER March 6 - 10 Carnival Week March 6 - Int. Girls’ Regional Basketball Tournament at Langstaff March 8 - Skating (See Page 2) March 10 - Skating (See Page 2) March 13 to 17 - March Break March 24 - Lice Checks March 24 - VIP - Gr. 6 March 28 - VIP - Gr. 6 March 31 - VIP - Gr. 6 No School Council Meeting in March. Next School Council meeting will be Wednesday, April 19 at 7pm.
DATES TO REMEMBER March 6 - 10 Carnival Week March 6 - Int. Girls’ Regional
Basketball Tournament at Langstaff March 8 - Skating (See Page 2) March 10 - Skating (See Page 2) March 13 to 17 - March Break March 24 - Lice Checks March 24 - VIP - Gr. 6
March 28 - VIP - Gr. 6
March 31 - VIP - Gr. 6 No School Council Meeting in
March. Next School Council
meeting will be Wednesday,
April 19 at 7pm.
FRÉCHETTE GAZETTE Page 2
SKATING DAYS AHEAD! Get your skates and helmets ready—we are going skating on March 8th and 10th at Garnett A. Williams
arena!
Please make sure that your child has skates and a proper helmet as they are mandatory and will not be able
to skate without them. Students staying at school will have planned activities. Thank you again to
our School Council Fundraising Committee for all their help in co-ordinating this terrific event.
French Immersion registration for grade one ended on February 10, 2017. Late applications can be made in person at your local French Immersion school. Late applications will be considered on a first-come-first-served basis. All registrations will be subject to review and verification. Parents looking for more information can visit the Board’s website at www.yrdsb.ca.
Message from our Trustee With spring approaching and the hours of daylight increasing, now is a good time to enjoy the outdoors
and our natural environment. Did you know that our Board has five outdoor education centres, and
students have opportunities to visit them and other outdoor learning spaces throughout their schooling?
This is part of our commitment to giving students an opportunity to learn in and about the natural world.
This learning supports students in gaining a deeper appreciation for nature and the importance of environ-
mental sustainability. “Modelling continuous environmental sustainability” is one of the goals outlined in our Board of Trustees’
Multi-Year Plan. We believe that we all have a role to play in reducing waste and protecting our environ-
ment. Our students, staff members and families continue to show leadership when it comes to supporting
student learning and initiatives to reduce our ecological footprint. Spending time outside as a family also provides a great opportunity to support and enhance your child’s
learning outside of school. Whether visiting a park or museum, reading with your child in your home
language or asking questions about their day at school - know that there are many ways you can support
their education and that you are making a difference. I hope you all have a happy and safe March Break and enjoy the warmer weather ahead.
LOST & FOUND - IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Please drop by and claim any lost clothing or other items from the lost and found bins/tables by March 7,
2017. The tables/bins are located on the first floor at the south entrance All lost and found articles not claimed will be donated to charity on March 10, 2017. Thank you for your support.
Fréchette will be hosting a Winter Carnival to celebrate French culture and engage
in a variety of learning experiences that will enhance the students‛ appreciation of
the French language, French Canadian traditions and celebrations.
Our Carnival will begin on Monday, March 6th, 2017 and continue through to Friday,
March 10th, 2017. We are looking forward to a week of fun-filled activities for everyone. Please
refer to the letter sent home week of February 21st.
MESSAGE FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE ORDERED HOT LUNCHES FOR THEIR CHILD Nutrition and healthy eating is as important to health as it is to learning. Unfortunately, there are many
children arriving at school with no food or not enough food to eat, or the lunch that they ordered is not
served that day. Please ensure that you mark the date for all your child/children’s lunches . Also en-
sure that your child/children have sufficient food and snacks to make it through the school day. We are not
equipped to serve groups of children, that for whatever reason, arrive in the office with no lunch or not
enough lunch. We have a number of students coming into the office requesting lunch and/or snacks on a
daily basis and students who come into the office complaining that they do not like their lunch. Please talk
to your child/children about what they like to eat and the importance of eating what they have in their
lunch. There also seems to be a question about the dates that lunches will be served. Lunches that are ordered
from school will ALWAYS be served on the same calendar day (i.e. Monday—Friday). If we have a day
off, for example, Monday or Friday or a (PA Day or holiday) lunches are not served on that day.
REMINDER: Please be aware that there will be no hot lunches served on inclement weather days. Please send your child/ren with a lunch on these days. Old order for pizza ends on March 27. New order starts on April 3 and ends June 26. Old order for Tuesday lunch ends April 18. New order will start April 25 and ends June 27. Old order for Wednesday lunch ends March 29. New order will start April 5 and ends June 28. Old order for Thursday lunch ends March 30. New order will start April 6 and ends June 22. Old order for Friday lunch ends on March 31. New order will start on April 7 and ends June 23. Please feel free to contact the office if you have any questions or need support in this matter.
SPOONS AND FORKS - Every day many of students come down to the office requesting a spoon or fork
so that they can eat their snacks/lunches. The school, unfortunately, cannot provide plastic spoons and forks.
We ask that parents/guardians please provide a reusable spoon or fork from home in their child’s lunch.
Students who get hot lunches are provided with spoons and/or forks in their lunch.
Please remember the three R’s, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Thank you for your support in this matter.
FRÉCHETTE GAZETTE Page 4
BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAMS Since December, the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have been training several times a week. Before school, after school and at most recesses, the gym was full of athletes striving to do
their best. In the end, both groups of students became incredible teammates and grew in many
ways. Neither team ever gave up, and participated in several after-school tournaments, learning new lessons all the way. A special congratulations to both teams who played in tournaments in February. Many of the
games were very close and the teams kept their cool. On February 23rd, the girls won their tournament and advanced to the Area Qualifiers. BRAVO! On March 6, the girls will be playing in the Regional Final! What an excellent season! Congratulations! We look
forward to the Regionals. Every member of our teams deserve much recognition for their dedication, hard work and support of one another over the past few months. Thank you very much to the coaches who put in endless hours supporting the teams.
Coaches: M. Durand, M. Deschenes and M. Baker
CHESS CLUB Le Club d'Echecs / Chess Club: We continue to have Chess Club for all students in grades 3 to 8 , on cold weather days or rainy indoor days in the library during second recess. It doesn't
matter if you are a beginner or an expert, alone or with friends. Come once, every time, or as often as you like. Chess is a game of skill for all ages and fun for everyone! See you there!! Mme Williamson
BADMINTON TEAM Badminton has just started and many students have come to try out for the team. They are
putting forth a great effort and having great fun. All grade 7 and 8 students participated in a two day
tournament in February. Those birdies were flying. We have now chosen the badminton team and wish
them the best in their future tournaments. Coach: M. Deschenes
INCLEMENT WEATHER
The winter season is here! It is important to review our procedure for bus cancellations and school closures. Buses
may be cancelled on any winter day when it is deemed unsafe to operate buses or have students
waiting outside.
Please remember that if the school buses are cancelled in the morning, then they will NOT operate in the after-
noon. Therefore, if you drive your children to school in the morning, you must also pick them up from school at 3:50
p.m. When buses are cancelled, it does not necessarily mean that schools are closed. Schools usually remain open
with a modified program. To find out whether or not the buses are cancelled, please check the following website:
school bus city or by following @YRDSB on twitter, or access the following radio or television
stations:
Radio
CFRB 1010 AM CHUM 1050 AM CHUM 104.5 CHIN 1540 AM NEWS 680 AM
CHFI 98.1 FM CHIN 100.7 CBC 99.1 FM CKFM 99.9 FM Q107.1 FM
The next You're the Chef will be held in April for grade 5 or 6 students who sign up. More details will follow.
BIG CRUNCH
Fréchette will again be celebrating "The Big Crunch" in April, during the Earth Day Assembly. Ontario grown
apples will be eaten to celebrate healthy eating at school. Students will receive an apple and crunch together
with the whole school during our April assembly. HEALTHY CHEF AMBASSADORS: Our grade 7 Healthy Chef Ambassadors have participated in a nutrition workshop with our York
Region Dietitian. They will have meetings and begin a healthy drinks campaign throughout the school,
where they will educate other students about healthy drink options and analyze the sugar content in
some drinks. BRIGHT BITES Our school is participating in a competition to earn nutrition and healthy eating badges at
http://brightbites.ca/. For every healthy eating activity we participate in, we sign up for different badges. We are currently in first place
among all participating schools in the province! If we win, we will be rewarded with a Drum Fit party for the whole
school.
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
Our Jump Rope for Heart kick off Assembly will take place on Monday, April 3rd. We encourage families
to support fundraising for the Heart and Stroke Foundation!
Any questions or to volunteer please contact Judy at email: [email protected].
The ECO-Update! Litter-less Lunch @ Fréchette!
After the March break, the Eco-club will organize a school-wide Litter-less Lunch Challenge. Staff and Students will
be encouraged to bring a litter-less lunch to school every Wednesday! This challenge will go on for 2 months.
Please pack your child's lunch and snacks in reusable containers instead of plastic bags.
Dîner sans déchets. Dîner sans déchets. Apportez un dîner sans déchets. Yeah!
Eco-ideas
Grade 3 and Grade 4 members of the Eco-club have prepared a list of Eco-friendly ideas that they will share each Monday! This new initiative is called "Les Éco-idées!" By sharing our Eco-ideas over the P.A., we will
reach the entire student body and we hope to make a difference! These Eco-ideas will help the school make small, yet impactful changes to reduce our waste production and energy consumption. Here's an Eco-idea
for you: Did you know that paper bags are compostable? Make sure you place them in the green bin after
use!
Earth Hour 2017 is Saturday, March 25. From 8:30 to 9:30 pm turn out your lights, turn off
electronics and spend an hour with your family. Play some board games, enjoy an hour of candle light with
the family. Join millions of people across the world and think about saving energy to benefit the environment.
At Fréchette we will celebrate Earth Hour on Friday, March 24 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Teachers will turn off the lights and plan activities to help students learn about conserving energy.
Re: Student Bussing Eligibility Did you know that students’ bussing eligibility changes throughout their school career? Your son/daughter’s eligi-bility 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 information about bus transportation and to determine your son/daughter’s eligibility please visit www.schoolbuscity.com.
Please be advised that those students who fall under the above criteria have not been eligible for bussing as of March 19th, 2012.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LINE
The office needs your help. If your child is going to be late, absent or on vacation, you
MUST call the 24/hr attendance line and leave a message. You may want to leave a mes-
sage with your child’s teacher, but you must also leave a message on the attendance line at
905-907-7884. Your call is very important to us.
EXTRA CHANGE OF CLOTHES AT SCHOOL
The snow is not over yet, but we hope that soon we are nearing the end of the winter
season and we may have warmer days ahead. This means that snow and ice will melt and
the field/pavement area may be a wet and sloppy mess. With this in mind, we are asking
parents/guardians to please provide your child/children with a change of
clothes in a plastic bag, clearly marked with their name (including, sweater,
undershirt, pants, underpants, socks and an extra pair of gloves). This will
avoid a call home. We appreciate your co-operation in this matter.
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS CALENDAR 2016-17
Many children have special events throughout the year such as birthday parties, Confirmations and Bar/Bat
Mitzvahs. If you would like to know about certain dates to support the planning of your own event, a par-
ent volunteer has offered to assist families by keeping an electronic calendar. Please feel free to email
Fabiana Szulsztein at [email protected] if you need to know about certain dates, or would like to share
the date of your event for others’ planning purposes.
Please note that this calendar is entirely organized by parent volunteers. L.H. Fréchette assumes no
responsibility in the coordination or maintenance of this calendar.
It is vital to have up to date information, if you have made any changes to your home, business or cell numbers or have a new address or emergency contacts please make sure that the office is informed. You may email the changes to either Mme Apa at [email protected] or Mme Pupo at [email protected]. Thank you.
Safety on Conley St. After School
Your child’s safety is important to us! We would like to remind parents that
children should not be crossing Conley unless accompanied by an adult. Children should enter
vehicles from the sidewalk side of the vehicle, not on the road side to avoid moving traffic. All parents/guardians who are picking up their students on Conley St. at the end of the day are reminded
that they can only park on the south side of Conley street. Parking on the north side is against traffic
laws because it impedes traffic flow and causes a potentially dangerous situation for all concerned. Par-
ents cannot pull into private driveways or block access to them nor should they be making three-point
turns during this busy time. The police do come out and will be ticketing those who contravene these traf-
fic laws. Children should be picked up promptly at 3:50pm. Children not picked up after 3:50pm will be escorted
to the front office to wait there. Please be reminded that our office closes at 4:30pm. We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation in helping make the bus loop safe for our students
(the bus loop is closed from 9:00 to 9:20 each day). Listed below are two more requests for parents dropping their students off at L.H. Fréchette:
If you are dropping your child/ren off after the second bell in the morning, you will need to park your car and come in to the office to sign them in.
At 9:00 a.m. you will find two pylons on either side of the school entrance on
Conley Street. Please do not park between these pylons to walk your child into the school yard. This area is going to be strictly for “kiss and drop.”
Thank you very much for your patience as we work towards having a safe and timely arrival and dis-
