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Silverthorn Public School

3535 Cedar Creek Drive

Mississauga, ON

L4Y 2Y4

(905) 279—1651

School Website: http://schools.peelschools.org/1160

TWITTER:

silverthornps

Mr. D. Forgione

Principal

Mrs. A. Zaffino

Office Manager

Ms. C. MacDonald

Office Assistant

Mrs. I. Fournier

Superintendent

of Education

905 366 - 8800

Ms. Sue Lawton

Trustee

Wards 3 & 4

905 625 - 8084

Peel District School Board

www.peelsb.com

May 2014

success, confidence, and

hope in each student.

Dear Parent/Guardians: Time has certainly flown by quickly this year. I know we have all awaited Spring to finally arrive and bring forth flowers, green grass, and warm weather. I hope that Springtime has finally come for all of us. This time of year often brings with it construction to roads etc. This spring, Silverthorn will undergo some construction of its own; we will be building 2 new Full Day Kindergarten Classes, and making some changes to the existing ones. This is exciting news for us and our school. We all look forward to the new addi-tion being completed. I do not have an exact ―start date‖ for the construction, but be assured that I will send out communication to all families once it begins. This construction will alter some of the procedures that we currently have in place. We will have to make some adjustments for the remainder of the school year as how our Primary stu-dents enter and exit the building. Once I meet with the construction team and staff, we will let you know what these changes are. Thank You to all parents and guardians for your continued support.

Sincerely, Dan Forgione, Principal

Important Dates in May

May 02 - Pizza Day

May 02 - Tomken Rd P.S. visits grade 5’s @ 9:00 am

May 02 - Grade 3 Swimming May 06 - Karate Kids

May 06 - Eco School Official Visit

May 07 - Grade 4 trip to Peel Waste Facility

May 07 - School Council @ 7:00 pm

May 09 - Grade 3 Swimming May 13 - Anti Bullying Presentation from 1-2 pm in the gym

May 13 - Karate Kids

May 14 - Co-operative Assembly @ 2:20 pm in the gym

May 14 - Welcome to Kindergarten from 6 -7:30 pm

May 16 - Pizza Day

May 19 - Victoria Day—Schools Closed

May 21 - Grade 2 Trip to Ripley’s

May 23 - Staff Photo Re-Take/Graduation Photo @ noon

May 28 - June 05 - EQAO TESTING for Grade 3

May 29 - Grade 4 Trip to Ripley’s

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Silverthorn School Council News

PARENT LENDING LIBRARY

Materials in our parent library can be borrowed at any time. A complete list of the materials available, book

descriptions and request order forms can be found on the School Council bulletin board inside the school front

doors as well as on the school website at http://school.peelschools.org/1160.

VOLUNTEER REQUEST FOR FAMILY BBQ DAY – FRIDAY JUNE 13, 2014

PARENT VOLUNTEERS are needed on June 13th to help make this day a success. (You must have a valid

Police Records Search on file with the school.) Whether you can help for the whole day or part of the day, any

support is greatly appreciated! Please leave a message at the office and you will be contacted.

TREAT OF THE WEEK PROGRAM

School Council began its Treat of the Week program on April 23rd. Every Wednesday for the next several

weeks, items will be sold for $1.50 during the first half of the lunch period. Students are under no obligation

to purchase anything. Treats include ice cream sandwiches, frozen yogurt cups and Kernels popcorn. Proceeds

will be used to fund a possible end of the year celebration (to be announced at a later date).

SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING

The next School Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 7th at 7:00pm. This the last scheduled

meeting of the school year.

All parents are welcome to attend.

FAMILY BBQ DAY

School Council will be holding our annual barbeque afternoon on FRIDAY, JUNE 13th during the lunch

period. We will be selling hot dogs (both beef and Halal chicken), chips and drinks at a cost of $1.00 per item.

Families and friends are welcome to attend. Kindergarten classes will be served during their classes at a time

specified later. Order forms will be coming home in late May.

Allergy Reminders

Silverthorn Public School is a peanut conscious school. Several of our students have severe allergies to peanuts, nuts,

peanut oil. For some children, even a small amount of the oil can result in a life threatening situation.

Please do not send snacks or lunches that contain peanuts, peanut products or their oils. Please talk with your

children about not sharing snacks or lunches with others.

Parents are asked NOT to send treats to the classrooms, due to often unknown food allergies. This is to protect all

our children. Teachers may occasionally organize a class event involving food, and they will inform you in their

newsletters.

Please advise the school if your child has any sort of allergy or medical alert.

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Student Response to EARTH ALIVE Experience

Bird Watching at Silverthorn Park

Bird watching activity with Ms. Varghese and with Ms. Gilberto was such fun. First, we made

binoculars with tissue paper rolls and attached a string to hang it around our neck. Then we

went to Silverthorn Park. On the way we used our cool binoculars to look for birds. We

learned that there weren’t many birds near our school but as we neared the park we could hear

loud chirping and other bird noises. Then we started to see all kinds of birds such as robins,

sparrows and even two falcons that were chasing each other. We counted at least fifty birds in

total. We hope to go back there in late spring to see if we can see more birds. Super

activity!!

Bird watching team!!!

Eco Activities in April

April was truly Earth Month at Silverthorn. Learning about

nature and environmental activities could be seen in every nook and corner of our school. The

Kindergartens planted seeds of different kinds to learn about plants. They made awesome

banners and created interesting things from waste materials. The grade 1s continued their

learning about community facilities and their responsibility to their environment such as

turning off lights and taps when they are done. The grade 2s learned about water and their role

in helping communities in need of clean drinking water. Students also learned about simple

machines and their positive and negative effects on the environment. The grade 3s made water

necklaces and then went to all classes to teach them. Students learned how much fresh water

we really have and our role in help protecting our water sources. All classes then put their

necklaces on a tree to symbolize the tree of life which was then exhibited at our Open House

held on April 24th. The grades 4s were involved in the Eco Fashion show which showcased

the use of materials in fun and creative ways at our Earth Day Assembly on April 22nd. The

grade 5s are learning about renewable and non renewable sources of energy and their

advantages and disadvantages.

In addition to the above, the school also held an Earth Alive event where every child in

school from Grades 1-5 were involved in an environmental activity. The activities were penny

art, bird watching, junkyard art, origami with used paper, games, nature walk and making bird

feeders for our outdoor classroom.

Silverthorn is awesome.

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Library News

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Silverthorn community for supporting our Scholastic book

fair. It was a tremendous success and we are delighted to acquire more quality books for our library and

classrooms. In addition, I would also like to congratulate our book fair prize winners: Parissa (Mrs. Glenn’s

class), Alex (Ms. Kidd’s class) and Demetre (Mrs. Varghese’s class).

On another note, if your child is a lover of comics, you may want to check out The Toronto Comic Arts

Festival 2014, which will take place on the weekend of May 10th and 11th. It is a free event happening at the

Toronto Reference Library. For more information, please go to www.TorontoComics.com.

As the weather is beginning to improve, I would like to invite you to continue being a great role model for

your child by taking your reading outside.

Mrs. Murphy

Creative Movement in the Classroom

In April, Silverthorn’s Grade 2 and 3 students had the opportunity to work with Dance

Instructor Laura Bolender, co-founder of BodyMindConfidance. With over 22 years of

dance training, Ms. Bolender facilitates movement–based creative experiences in schools

and communities all across Ontario. Our Grade 2 and 3 students spent their time with Ms.

Bolender exploring the elements of dance (time, body, space and energy) that they have

been learning this term. She instructed them on how to observe their environment, use their bodies to explore

different spaces and create a group site-based dance phrase in a ―new‖ environment (i.e. outdoors, re-arranged

classroom). The students seemed to thoroughly enjoy Ms. Bolender’s challenging lessons.

This month the Grade 2’s and 3’s will be continuing their study of dance elements by

reviewing what they have learned so far about these elements, creating new dance phrases,

viewing and discussing videos/photos taken of them during class and completing a Dance

Journal which will require them to reflect on their dance experiences this term.

~Mrs. Buckerfield~

RUNNING CLUB

Running club practices for the junior students take place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The primary students practice Tuesday and Thursday.

The Valleys Meet will take place May 23rd at the Valleys Community Centre.

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11 Tips for Helping Children Cope With Fears, Anxieties

Parents can help children learn techniques to manage anxiety. Here are some tips to try:

Reduce stress: Excessive stress and tension in your home can have a negative effect on your child. Look for

ways to reduce stress by doing calm activities together and deal with conflict as it arises, avoiding raised

voices or arguing around children.

Make a routine: A regular routine for meals, homework, quiet time and bedtime can be comforting to an anx-

ious child.

Give consequences: Anxiety does not excuse inappropriate behaviour. It is important to set limits and expec-

tations and follow-through with realistic consequences, rewards and praise. Children are happier when they

know what the rules are and what will happen if they break them.

Be supportive: It is difficult for children to face their fears. Don't laugh at your child or minimize your child's

fears. Let your child know it is normal to have fears and listen to your upset child and let them know it is okay

to talk about feelings. Help your child figure out ways to handle difficult situations. Ask, "How can we make

this easier for you?"

Encourage independence: Although it is tempting to do things for your child when they are anxious or fear-

ful, it is much more beneficial to help children learn to do things for themselves and take some risks. By doing

this, you will help your child develop the skills and abilities to cope with life. This can include giving your

child responsibilities around the house or brainstorming ideas for solving problems. Be supportive but don't

take over.

Avoid giving excessive help and reassurance: Giving constant help and reassurance can prevent your child

from learning how to cope on his own. Teach your child to answer their own questions and model problem

solving for them.

Build self-confidence: Praise your child for their accomplishments in facing their fears. Involve your child in

activities that help him feel proud.

Have realistic expectations: It is important your child is taking steps forward, even if they are small steps.

Help your child set and achieve goals that can be more easily met, perhaps at a slower pace. Have realistic ex-

pectations for your child.

Take care of yourself too: It can be very difficult dealing with an anxious child. Make sure you manage your

own reactions and take care of yourself. Remember the basics of eating well, getting enough rest and give

yourself permission to take some time off.

Take risks: Model brave behaviour for your child by trying new things together. Anxious children need to try

new things and take some risks in order to develop increased confidence and skills.

Avoid avoidance: Anxious children want to avoid things that cause them anxiety. Although this temporarily

decreases distress, it also allows fears to grow and can make coping more difficult in the future. It is better to

support your child in facing their fears-small steps at a time.

Source: Anxiety BC website (www.anxietybc.com)

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Keeping Your Children 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, heat-

ers, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________

May 4 to 10 is Emergency Preparedness Week

What is EP Week?

The first full week of May of each year is Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week. This year, we will celebrate

EP week May 4 to May 10. 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 emer-

gency management planning and personal preparedness.

What is the purpose?

The purpose of EP Week is to educate students, parents and the community about the importance of being pre-

pared in the case of an emergency.

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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 4 to 10, 2014. 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 coin-cides with National Police 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 Missis-sauga will honour the work of police officers and thank them for enhancing public safety and security.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On the Road Again: How to Keep Your Cyclist Safe

Here are some tips you can review with your child to ensure bike season gets off to a great start:

The right fit

children should be able to straddle the bike with both feet on the ground

a bike that is too big or too small can be a safety hazard

the helmet should fit—if it's too loose, it could fall off, if it's too tight, it's uncomfortable

Get noticed

a young child's bike should be equipped with a bell and reflector

older riders should have a light and/or reflectors

Follow the rules

no riding on busy streets

no riding at night

stop for all STOP signs

Actions that cause injuries

driveway ride out—not stopping and looking both ways before entering the street

running the stop sign

turning without warning

cycling in the dark

following the leader—one child goes through a stop sign or misses a parked car but the second cyclist doesn't

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