Journal May 2017 Vol. 1 No. 9 3251 The Credit Woodlands, Mississauga, ON L5C 2J7 Telephone: (905) 279-7950 ● Fax: (905) 279-8098 ● Safe Arrival: 1 (855) 209-6155 Principal: Robert Stancu ● Vice-Principal: Kim Daries ● Office Manager: Cindy Knebel Superintendent: Jamie Robertson ● Trustees: Robert Crocker & Janet McDougald _ Principal’s Message May is now here with the promise of warmer weather, and we carry with us fond memories of the spectacular Junior Musical performances by our children. I know that the outstanding work of our Junior boys and girls will be recalled by all of us for many years to come. I know that all of you share my anticipation for the next Musical planned by Mr. Martin and Ms. Hill for the next school year. Stay tuned! On the School Success front, our teachers have been working hard to embed Spatial Reasoning components into their Mathematics learning activities planned for our children. You will recall that Spatial Reasoning is foundational to the understanding of Math concepts, and encompasses skills like: comparing objects; mentally rotating and transforming objects; creating and reading maps, graphs and other visual data; and imagining objects or amounts as proportionally larger or smaller. See p. 5 of this newsletter for more details. At the same time, our teachers have been involved in Class Data Wall tracking. This involves the development of a class data spreadsheet by each teacher based on their students’ achievement in a Mathematics pre- test. Teachers meet in their grade teams to moderate the student results from the pre-test Creative Playground Update Our dream of installing a brand new Creative Playground apparatus is now very close to fruition. Thanks to Mo Snobar, a local real estate agent who has kindly donated $21,000 toward the cost of the new playground, we are now very close to being able to initiate the installation. Also, a huge thank you goes out to everyone in our Springfield community who have made donations during our Move-a- thon fundraiser, and who have dropped by our school to make individual generous donations. With the collective efforts of Mo Snobar, our Springfield School Council, so many families and friends within our Springfield community, as well as our Superintendent of Education Jamie Robertson, we are on target for an anticipated grand unveiling of the new Creative Playground in mid to late June. Stay tuned for more details as they arise! The proposed playground structure has been enhanced to ensure that all age levels of children will find it exciting and worthwhile. Extra length and height has been added to one end of the main apparatus, along with extra climbing options as well as a very exciting extra slide. In order to accommodate the significant extra cost for
Transcript
Journal
May 2017 Vol. 1 No. 9 3251 The Credit Woodlands, Mississauga, ON L5C 2J7 Telephone: (905) 279-7950 ● Fax: (905) 279-8098 ● Safe Arrival: 1 (855) 209-6155 Principal: Robert Stancu ● Vice-Principal: Kim Daries ● Office Manager: Cindy Knebel Superintendent: Jamie Robertson ● Trustees: Robert Crocker & Janet McDougald
__Principal’s Message
May is now here with the promise of warmer weather, and we carry with us fond memories of the spectacular Junior Musical performances by our children. I know that the outstanding work of our Junior boys and girls will be recalled by all of us for many years to come. I know that all of you share my anticipation for the next Musical planned by Mr. Martin and Ms. Hill for the next school year. Stay tuned!
On the School Success front, our teachers have been working hard to embed Spatial Reasoning components into their Mathematics learning activities planned for our children. You will recall that Spatial Reasoning is foundational to the understanding of Math concepts, and encompasses skills like: comparing objects; mentally rotating and transforming objects; creating and reading maps, graphs and other visual data; and imagining objects or amounts as proportionally larger or smaller. See p. 5 of this newsletter for more details.
At the same time, our teachers have been involved in Class Data Wall tracking. This involves the development of a class data spreadsheet by each teacher based on their students’ achievement in a Mathematics pre-test. Teachers meet in their grade teams to moderate the student results from the pre-test (i.e., ensuring that they follow common assessment criteria), then plot the results on their class data wall spreadsheet, and determine who are the ‘students to watch’ (i.e., those children whose achievement on the test indicated that they are struggling with the concepts covered). After several months of teaching using strategies and activities also geared toward meeting the needs of these struggling learners, our teachers conducted a check-in assessment task and met with me to share the results and how the ‘students to watch’, as well as all the other students, have fared. In my meetings, it was clear that most of the ‘students to watch’, as well as most other students, had been able to make gains in their understanding and application of the Math concepts covered. These discussions with teachers about their Class Data Walls have been crucial since they have provided a forum for these teachers to reflect on their teaching practice and
Creative Playground Update
Our dream of installing a brand new Creative Playground apparatus is now very close to fruition. Thanks to Mo Snobar, a local real estate agent who has kindly donated $21,000 toward the cost of the new playground, we are now very close to being able to initiate the installation. Also, a huge thank you goes out to everyone in our Springfield community who have made donations during our Move-a-thon fundraiser, and who have dropped by our school to make individual generous donations. With the collective efforts of Mo Snobar, our Springfield School Council, so many families and friends within our Springfield community, as well as our Superintendent of Education Jamie Robertson, we are on target for an anticipated grand unveiling of the new Creative Playground in mid to late June. Stay tuned for more details as they arise!
The proposed playground structure has been enhanced to ensure that all age levels of children will find it exciting and worthwhile. Extra length and height has been added to one end of the main apparatus, along with extra climbing options as well as a very exciting extra slide. In order to accommodate the significant extra cost for these additions, we have opted to forego the additional separate climbing dome for this year, but have included an additional large stand alone climbing device called a ‘Space Station’. The final resulting playground should look similar to the computer generated image seen below:
SafeArrival: Reporting Absences and LatesEvery day counts—attendance matters!Regular school attendance is an important factor in your child’s school success. Research shows that chronic absenteeism (missing 2 days per month for a total of 20 days per year) can negatively impact your child’s learning. Getting to class on time and avoiding absences are critical if your child is to get the most out of school.
In the event that your child won’t be attending school, please be sure to report your child(ren)’s absences prior to the start of the school day. Late arrivals and/or early departures should be reported as soon as possible.
SafeArrival will allow you to report your child(ren)’s absences quickly and conveniently in one of three ways:1. You can call into an automated, interactive telephone system via a toll free number—
1-855-209-6155. 2. You can log into a website, pdsb.schoolconnects.com, to access a SafeArrival Parent Portal.
An account can be set up to report absences. 3. You can download the SafeArrival mobile application for Apple and Android devices.
If your child’s absence is not reported in advance, the automated notification system will contact parents/guardians at multiple contact numbers until one of the designated contacts is reached to verify the absence. If our automated system is unable to reach a designated contact, office staff will follow up.
Please ensure you complete the reporting process by recording the confirmation number provided at
Library NewsForest of Reading 2017 was a big success! Special thanks to all our staff and student Blue Spruce Mystery Readers for bringing this year's picture books to life. All of our primary students voted for their favourite book, and results will be announced soon! Our Silver Birch readers worked hard to qualify in time to vote. We have 36 students joining us this year on our trip to the Powerade Centre for the Peel Forest of Reading celebration on May 18.
Spring Book Fair is here! The Happy Camper Book Fair will run during the week of May 8 to 12 and will be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during school hours. It will also be open after school on Thursday, May 11th until 4:30. Let's have "S'more Fun with Books!"
Please also note that the final due date for all Library books is Friday, June 9th. Please continue to encourage your child to demonstrate responsibility by returning books on time.
Excellent French Reading Programs for Use at HomeMany of our parents have expressed interest in accessing online supplemental French Reading programs. There are a number of such programs available at no cost on line. Some programs which are noteworthy for their engaging formats are:Il etait une histoire (www.iletaitunehistoire.com)Idello (www.idello.org)A free App which reads aloud in a colourful French picture book format: BoukiliAt Springfield, our English reading program is supplemented by the online resource called Raz-Kids. In our quest to find a supplemental online French reading program of comparable quality, we have been able to find an outstanding leveled online French reading program called Lecture Enfant. Like Raz-Kids and the French programs listed above, Lecture Enfant can be accessed by students at home. We plan to purchase Lecture Enfant for Springfield use commencing in September of our upcoming 2017-18 school
Register today for Adult ESL or LINC classes 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 7) 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
Safety of our Students is our Top PriorityThroughout the school year, incidents in our school communities happen. Our staff take precautions to emphasize street-proofing skills with your child. However, we feel that it is important that you take an opportunity to review safety procedures with your child.
Peel Police have provided the following safety guidelines if your child encounters a stranger: Tell your children to never go anywhere with a stranger, not to talk to
strangers and never take anything from them. You also have to teach them what a "safe stranger" is in case they need help. A safe stranger includes a police officer, a cashier, a fire fighter, etc.
Remind your child to never walk alone—always walk with a group. Develop a "what if" game for the kids to get them thinking of how they would
respond if they felt threatened or afraid. Know who your children play with and where they go. This includes keeping a
list of their friend's addresses and phone numbers. Remind your children not to take short cuts through parks, ravines, or other
secluded areas. Your child's body is private. Tell your child that no one may touch the area
their bathing suit covers. If someone does or tries to touch them, they should advise you immediately.
Teach your children to talk to you immediately when someone does anything that makes them feel strange or uncomfortable. Listen when your children are trying to tell you about something that bothers them and provide them with support and understanding.
Tips for riding the bus: Take a seat as quickly as possible, put belongings under the seat and stay
seated. Never stick anything out of the window, including part of your body. Refrain from eating on the bus. If a choking incident occurs, the driver may not
be able to help immediately. Wait until the school bus stops before standing up to exit the vehicle.
Tips for exiting the bus: When getting off the bus, take two large steps away from bus. If you have to
walk in front of the bus, do so at least three metres (10 giant steps) away from the bus.
The driver must be able to see students exiting the bus and will give a signal when it is safe to cross. If more than one student is crossing in front of the bus at the same time, they should cross in single file.
Children must never reach for something that is under the bus without the driver’s permission. Let the driver know that something is under the bus or wait until the bus moves out of the way.
Tips for walking to school: Help your child establish a safe, direct route to school. Avoid potential safety
It's Time to Register Children The Importance of Spatial ReasoningThe Importance of Spatial Reasoning
Spatial Reasoning involves the location and movement of objects and ourselves, either mentally or physically, in space. It is not a single ability or process but actually refers to a number of concepts, tools and processes. (National Research Council, 2006)
Spatial reasoning involves an understanding of relationships within and between spatial structures and, through a wide variety of possible representations (from drawings to computer models), involves the means to communicate about them. When a child rotates a rectangular prism to fit into the castle she is building at the block centre in Kindergarten, she is employing spatial reasoning, just as is the student who uses a diagram of a rectangle to prove that the formula for finding the area of a triangle is ½ b x h. Spatial reasoning informs our ability to investigate and solve problems, especially non-routine or new problems, in Mathematics.
The Ontario curriculum combines spatial sense and geometry into one strand (as do many curricula around the world) because spatial sense and geometry are inherently linked. Geometry deals directly with measuring and moving objects in space. Geometry is the foundation of mathematics as we know it today; it was developed to explain phenomena and solve problems that bore directly on daily life, such as how to measure time or navigate across the sea. Spatial thinking gave birth to the earliest forms of sophisticated mathematical thinking. And yet, despite its importance, research has shown that, in North America, geometry receives the least amount of time compared with other strands in classroom instruction.
We are just beginning to understand the interplay between spatial reasoning and mathematics learning. We know that by focusing on spatial thinking, we can tap into a diversity of student strengths. A focus on spatial thinking allows mathematics to become more visual, and connects with what “real” mathematicians do when they are exploring patterns in the world and making discoveries. By exploring the spatial aspects of mathematics, we make it more accessible, more engaging and more relevant. Albert Einstein conceived his theory of relativity, which produced possibly the most familiar equation of all time (E = mc²), by visualizing himself riding a beam of light. Stephen Hawking has explained that “by losing the finer dexterity of my hands, I was forced to travel the universe in my mind, and try to visualize the ways in which it worked”. We need to continually foster students’ creative engagement in mathematics, and paying attention to spatial thinking is a key to doing so.
Spatial Reasoning Can Involve:
- moving one’s body in space- creating or designing objects- comparing objects- manipulating objects- imagining objects moving in space (mental rotation and transformations)- locating objects and remembering locations of objects- creating and reading maps, graphs, and other visual data- diagramming (e.g., representing a 3-D object on a 2-D surface; representing a process, such as a flow chart, which requires abstract visualization)- scaling up or down (imagining objects or amounts as proportionally larger or smaller)- visualizing- perspective-taking (considering the perspective of someone who is in a different location, such as how his or her view of an object might be different from your own)- shifting dimensions (i.e., seeing connections between 3-D figures and 2-D representations)- composing (i.e., physically or mentally combining shapes to make different shapes, such as two triangles joining to make another triangle)- decomposing (i.e., physically or mentally taking shapes apart, which involves seeing the shapes that may be embedded within other shapes)
Born in 2013 for Kindergarten!
Register at Springfield Now!
We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2013, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2017. You can register your child for Kindergarten at Springfield anytime during regular school hours – 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
What you will need to bring to registration
Proof of child's age Canadian birth certificate Canadian passport citizenship card/certificate Permanent Resident Card confirmation of permanent residence work permit refugee permit
Proof of address Ontario driver's license utility bill bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution) credit card statement federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents) purchase agreement
Proof of custody – children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation supports an alternate living arrangementProof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated
Extended-day program for kindergarten studentsFamilies have the option of enrolling their child in before and after-school programs developed by the Ministry of Education to complement the full-day kindergarten program. These programs are run by qualified, experienced staff from our childcare partners. At registration, we will ask families to tell us whether they are interested in the extended-day programs. The programs can only run if there is enough interest among families.
Important information about immunizationIn order to attend school in Ontario, your child must have an up-to-date immunization record. When you register your child for school, you will provide a copy of your child's immunization record and the school will send it to Peel Health. After registration, keeping your child's records up to date is your responsibility. Peel Health reviews immunization records regularly. Students who are not completely immunized and do not have a valid exemption may not be allowed to attend school.
For information about immunization, or to get a copy of your child's record call Health Line Peel at 905-799-7700. Translation services are available.
