LARKSPUR PUBLIC SCHOOL growing together today, for tomorrow 111 Larkspur Road Brampton, Ontario L6R 1X2 Phone: 905-799-2952 Fax: 905-799-8109 Website: http://schools.peelschools.org/1477 MAY 2018 May 1 Grade 1 to Peel Safety Village Healthy Eating Workshop @ 2pm May 3 Kindergarten Character Assembly @ 10:10am May 7 Grade 3 Soils & Plants Presentations May 10 Healthy Eating Workshop @ 6pm May 11 Peel District School Board Choir Festival Jump Rope for Heart Kickoff Assembly @ 12:10pm May 13 Mother’s Day May 15 Healthy Eating Workshop @ 2pm May 18 Cultural Spirit Day (wear something representing your culture) May 21 Victoria Day (School Closed) May 23 Grade 5 to Crawford Lake Conservation Area May 23 & 24 Grade 2 Cricket Ontario Workshop May 24-31 Grade 3 EQAO May 25 Super-Hero Spirit Day May 29 Healthy Eating Workshop @ 2pm PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE It is with great pride that we look back on the month of April and all of the wonderful learning and special events that have taken place within our Larkspur community. During Education Week we welcomed families into the school and classrooms to visit with their child(ren) and see their learning in action. What a great opportunity to get a snapshot of your child’s growth and development since the beginning of this school year. Equally important to a child’s academic growth is their participation in an active lifestyle; something we promote regularly. Classes enjoyed participating in DrumFit and our annual Move-a-thon. Congratulations to all our primary students and staff for their
Healthy Eating Workshop @ 2pmMay 3 Kindergarten Character Assembly @ 10:10amMay 7 Grade 3 Soils & Plants Presentations May 10 Healthy Eating Workshop @ 6pmMay 11 Peel District School Board Choir Festival
Jump Rope for Heart Kickoff Assembly @ 12:10pmMay 13 Mother’s DayMay 15 Healthy Eating Workshop @ 2pmMay 18 Cultural Spirit Day (wear something representing your culture)May 21 Victoria Day (School Closed)May 23 Grade 5 to Crawford Lake Conservation AreaMay 23 & 24 Grade 2 Cricket Ontario WorkshopMay 24-31 Grade 3 EQAOMay 25 Super-Hero Spirit DayMay 29 Healthy Eating Workshop @ 2pm
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGEIt is with great pride that we look back on the month of April and all of the wonderful learning and special events that have taken place within our Larkspur community. During Education Week we welcomed families into the school and classrooms to visit with their child(ren) and see their learning in action. What a great opportunity to get a snapshot of your child’s growth and development since the beginning of this school year. Equally important to a child’s academic growth is their participation in an active lifestyle; something we promote regularly. Classes enjoyed participating in DrumFit and our annual Move-a-thon. Congratulations to all our primary students and staff for their
wonderful performance during our Spring Concert this past week. You are all stars!
G. Harris J. Chalinor S. BloomPrincipal Vice Principal Vice Principal
Intramurals are Back!Grades 1, 2 and 3 students have been engaged in soccer type activities in recent weeks. Grades 4 and 5 are scheduled to start playing organized soccer games the week of May 1st. It is important to note that those students in Grades 4 and 5 wishing to play for the school soccer team must attend these intramurals.
Co-Ed Floor Hockey TeamThe Larkspur co-ed floor hockey team travelled to Carberry Public School on Thursday, April 26thth, to participate in their annual tournament. The team played extremely well throughout the tournament exhibiting a determined effort that resulted in fantastic passing plays and terrific goals. All team members are congratulated for representing Larkspur on a club level.
Soccer School of ExcellenceOn Monday, April 9th, the Soccer School of Excellence was at Larkspur working specifically with our Grade 4 students. Head instructor, Valerio Rocca, lead the students through a variety of dribbling skills and activities that reinforced the importance of using all sides of the feet and keeping the ball in close proximity when moving down the field. This introductory lesson challenged our Grade 4’s and gave them a good sense of the effort required to further improve their skill set.
Family Fitness NightLarkspur Public School’s second family fitness night occurred on Thursday, April 26th. Students and parents were treated to an awesome cricket presentation in the gym as well as a number of great fitness activities in the atrium. Hardev Sohi, Larskpur’s Public Health nurse, also spoke to families about the importance of healthy eating and keeping hydrated throughout the day. A special thank you goes out of the Cricket Council of Ontario who travelled all the way from Burlington to present.
Toronto Argos Football GamePARENTS, interested in attending a professional football game in the end of June? Lucky we have a professional team close by and they're even a CHAMPIONSHIP team. THE TORONTO ARGOS!!
If you and your family are interested in purchasing tickets to attend an Argos game at the end of June click the link below and let us know.https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TF2CDT6
PLEASE NOTE: If we sell enough tickets, members of the Argos will come to Larkspur and put on a football demonstration in front of the students, as well as talk the importance of teamwork and cooperation.
Walk to School Wednesday On Wednesday, May 9th there will be was a special "Mother's Day" Walk to School Wednesday in which students will get a special item for their mom's! PLEASE make sure you get out and WALK to school and leave the car in the driveway, especially since gas prices are on the rise! For a HEALTHY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE every child should get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day.
Healthy Bite BasketWe are happy to say that the HEALTHY BITE BASKET WEDNESDAYS have been a success and will continue on through May. The carrots and apples we had this past week went well, all of them eaten up by the end of the day. Well done Larkspur!!
Larkspur Cross Country Running Clarence Squires Memorial Run Thursday, June 7th at Paul Coffey Park
This year for the Grades 3 - 5 will have the opportunity to TRY OUT for our school's Cross Country Team. If selected your son/daughter will get a chance to represent Larkspur at this year's Clarence Squires Memorial Run on Thursday, June 7th at Paul Coffey Park. The grade 3's are required to run 5 km and the grade 4's/5's are required to run 5 km. For a detailed schedule please check our school's Tugra Times or our gym bulletin board by the office. Mr. Spencer and Mrs. Kannenberg will be making the teams at the end of May. 8 students will be chosen per grade (4 boys and 4 girls). If your son/daughter is going to try out and run PLEASE make sure they have proper running shoes to run.
Larkspur Dance TeamFor the first time, Larkspur P.S. has a Dance Team! Auditions were held, and over 50 students in grades 2-5 auditioned. From those who auditioned, 20 were selected for the Dance Team. Our team have worked very hard since their first practice in December, rehearsing twice a week in the Atrium. They learned choreography to the song ‘Perm’ by Bruno Mars. Their dance was a mix of hip hop and jazz.
Their first performance was in March, at the Junior Concert. There were some butterflies in tummies, but they performed very well. Practices continued, and they performed on April 26 at our own Primary Concert. They have improved their dancing skills, and I look forward to working with many of them next year!
Congratulations to the team members: Aria, Maria, Prodyuman, Anna, Anushka, Seerat, Amaya, Akshara, Serena, Ciera, Prabhleen, Jedefri, Jeel, Kavan, Krisha, Nyiah, Anmeet, Nitya, Tania.
Also a note of thanks to the teachers who assisted with the Dance Team, Mrs. Bince, Ms. Pool and Mrs. Kanenberg.
Me to We ClubImagine if getting a drink of water wasn’t as simple as turning on your tap. Did you know millions of people around the world don’t live near a reliable, clean water source, or have access to sanitary washing facilities, leaving them at risk of illness and deadly disease? The Larkspur ME to WE club would like to help those who do not have access to clean water. Frozen Treat Friday is our fundraiser that will take place on May 11th and May 18th. Popsicles are on sale for $1.00 and can be purchased on cash-online. The money raised from popsicle sales will be donated to the WE Charity. Thank you in advance for your support.
Changes coming to elementary SafeArrival system on May 14, 2018
As you know, the Peel District School Board implemented SafeArrival, an automated absence reporting system for all students in its elementary schools in September 2016. Recently, the service provider for our system was sold to a new company and so, beginning May 14, 2018, there will be some slight changes on how you will
report your child’s absence from school.
All families must set up a new SafeArrival account beginning May 1, 2018. The new system will be “live” as of Monday, May 14, 2018 so please ensure your new account has been created by then. Please note: the new SafeArrival system CANNOT be used before May 14 to report any school absences. You must use our current SafeArrival system until Friday, May 11, 2018. The phone number will remain the same, only the App and website will change.
Use one of the following methods to set-up your new SafeArrival account. Please ensure the number and email address that you are using to report your child’s absences are those that we have on file.
SchoolMessenger app (free from Apple or Google Play)1. Download the SchoolMessenger app2. Tap Sign Up to create your account
Web and Mobile Web: go.schoolmessenger.com1. Go to the above website2. Click Sign Up to create your account
Interactive Toll-free Phone1. Call the toll-free number: 1-855-209-61552. Listen to and follow the instructions to report an absence
May 1 – Parents begin to set-up new SchoolMessenger accounts
May 11 – Last day to use current SafeArrival App or pdsb.schoolconnects.com
May 14 – Use new SchoolMessenger App or go.schoolmesenger.comPhone number will remain the same.
As always, please report your child’s absences before the start of the school day. Late arrivals and/or early departures should be reported as soon as possible. If your child’s absence is not reported in advance, the automated notification system will contact you to inform you of the absence and will provide an opportunity to verify the absence. By reporting your child absent in advance on the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or SchoolMessenger mobile app, you will not receive a call.
A new way to ‘Share the Smile’
In every Peel school and worksite, there are endless inspiring stories just waiting to be told. To help share the smile, the Peel board will launch a new website on April 30 to showcase these amazing #PeelFam stories, people and creations.
Visit www.sharethesmile.ca to view some of the stories, people and creations we’ve featured so far. We encourage students, staff, parents and the community to share the stories happening in their school community. In the top right corner, you share by clicking ‘Share Your Story’.
Mental Health Minute Activity
For Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s try a Mental Health Minute Activity.
Grateful seeing - Look FIRST for what’s good and working for us in life. Ask your child to share one (or two) good things about their day. Make sure you share what’s good about your day too!
“We’re going for a walk!” - Exercise relieves anxiety for up to several hours as it burns excess energy, loosens tense muscles and boosts mood. If your child can’t take a walk right now, have them run in place, bounce on a yoga ball, jump rope or stretch.
Three hugs, three big breaths - Hug your child and take 3 deep belly breaths together. Share a smile and move on with your day. This is a quick way to pause, connect and be in the moment together.
Experiment! - Together with your child you might: try a new recipe, write a poem, paint something, or play a new game. Creative expression and well-being are linked.
What is an IEP?
Education is full of acronyms and IEP is one of many that a parent/guardian of a child receiving special education support will encounter.
An IEP is an Individual Education Plan. Developed at the beginning of the school year, it lays out the accommodations and modifications to the regular curriculum that help your child learn and be successful. No formal identification is needed but you, the parent/guardian should be involved in the development as you provide valuable input. It can be overwhelming so there are pamphlets, webpages, and Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) representatives who can help you understand and make informed contributions.
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. Let's thank the professionals who help our children with their speech and language challenges.
For more information, please visit www.peelschools.org/parents/specialed/iep
Using social media safely
With the growing number of social media sites, it is no surprise that social media is the most common form of communication for children and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads, tweets and texts have become a regular part of their lives. While there are many positive benefits to using social media, including staying connected with friends and expressing your interests, students must be cautious in their use of these networks.
Among the most popular social media platforms used are Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and Whatsapp Messenger. Many of these platforms are free and are available on smartphones and other electronic devices. These platforms are easy to navigate and often allow information to be shared instantly, not only with friends, but with strangers. On social media, it is important to remember that the world is watching.
Here are some tips, provided by the Canadian Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to keep your children safe and help them make smart choices when using social media:
Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the way they use it or the settings.
Have a conversation about what is appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge repercussions that could damage their reputation and be harmful to others.
Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they come across something they find worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.
Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments, photos and videos all form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available on the internet forever, even if it is subsequently deleted.
Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection, and that they shouldn’t do anything online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Users should only accept people they know in order to protect themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using social networking sites to commit crimes.
Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually ‘talking’ to online, even if they think they do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text with strangers, and it’s never okay to meet a stranger in the real world.
Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn how privacy settings work on your children’s favourite sites, and teach them how to control their privacy.
Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes, but is not limited to, his or her full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance number, credit card information and parents’ full names.
Limit the amount of time that your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the importance of healthy and appropriate use of technology.
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 8) 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, then press 2
Also visit www.peelschools.org/adulteducation or follow us on Twitter: @PDSBLearnESL
We Welcome the World Centres
The Peel District School Board’s We Welcome the World Centres located in Brampton, Malton and Mississauga, are the first point of contact for all newcomer families to become familiar with the educational system in Peel. The centres are open all year—including the summer months— from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to providing literacy and numeracy assessments, the We Welcome the World Centres provide newcomers with a host of services including: reception, orientation, interpretation and referrals.
At each centre, parents/guardians and students will discover:• settlement service information• age and grade appropriate educational and related program resources• information about various community supports • translation of materials to support the reception and assessment process• computer portals— providing information on Peel resources
For more information about the We Welcome the World Centre and the services they provide, call 905-366-8791.
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 18, 2018. 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 Police Week. National Police Week pays tribute to the work of police officers across Canada.
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.
Student trustees elected for 2018-19 school year
Laura Oris-Naidenova and Amanpreet Chonkrian have been elected as student trustees for the 2018-19 school year. These results were announced at the Regular Meeting of the Board on April 24.
Laura Oris-Naidenova, from Clarkson Secondary School, will represent schools south of Highway 401, and Amanpreet Chonkrian, from Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School, will represent schools north of Highway 401. The student trustee elections were held in schools on April 17 and 18.
Student trustees serve an important role by representing students in decisions about education in Peel, and keeping students informed about important decisions that affect them. For more information about student trustees and their responsibilities, visit www.peelschools.org/students/studenttrustees.
Celebrating Faith and CultureMay 2018
DATECELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE
May Yansa'altt and Flower Moon Aboriginal SpiritualityMay 1 Beltane WiccaMay 1 Nisfu Sha’ban IslamMay 2 12th Day of Ridvan Bahá'íMay 10 or 17 (J) Ascension ChristianityMay 16 or 17 Ramadan IslamMay 17 to June 4 the month of 'Azamat Bahá'íEve of May 19 to 20 Shavuot JudaismMay 20 or 27 (J) Pentecost ChristianityMay 21 Victoria Day CanadaMay 22 or 29 Sakyamuni Buddha’s Birthday BuddhismMay 22 to 25 Aboriginal Week Aboriginal SpiritualityEve of May 23 to 24 Declaration of the Báb Bahá'íMay 24 Zarathosht-no-Diso ZoroastrianismEve of May 28 to May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Bahá'íMay 29 Wesak Day/Buddha Day Buddhism
