Bennett’s Blog By Mr. Brian R. Bennett, Principal January 31, 2014 Students of the Month 2 Book Nook 3 Hook-a-Book 6 JK Registration 6 Parent Volunteers Tips From Teachers 8 SAC News 7 Parent/Child Worksheet 9 Inside this issue: February Calendar The Heather Heights Herald Heather Heights P.S. 80 Slan Avenue Scarborough, Ontario M1G 3B5 416-396-6305 Principal Brian Bennett Office Administrator Sheri Berkaslan http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/heatherheights 10 As I look forward to February just around the corner, I am excited about the many special activities and events that are being planned for our students. A variety of extra-curricular activities are already underway including the Heather Heights/VMA Junior Volleyball team and the Heather Heights/VMA Junior Bas- ketball team. Both teams have been practicing and working very hard to develop and strengthen their playing skills. All of our student athletes are to be commend- ed for their excellent teamwork and sportsmanship that they have repeatedly demonstrated and shown to our opposing team players. We are all rooting and cheering on our teams and wish them much success for the remainder of the games. With February here, we are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Winter Olympics in Sochi and to cheer on our talented Canadian athletes! To help capture the spirit of the games and to build school spirit, Heather Heights and the VMA will be hosting our very own Winter Olympics from February 7 th to February 24 th . During this two week period, staff will be running a number of indoor and outdoor events for the students during morning and afternoon recess. Events will include hockey, curling, skeleton, bobsleigh, ski jump and the biathlon. Students and their classmates will have opportunities to win the Gold, Silver or Bronze medal for these various events. To add to the excitement, each class will represent a pre-selected country such as Canada, the United States or Russia and the medals won will be tallied on a large chart in the main foyer. Be sure to ask your child what country his/her class will be representing in our Olympics! Staff and students will also participate in an Opening and Closing Ceremony which will greatly add to the Olympic and school spirit! The Olympics provides wonderful teaching opportunities for our students in their classrooms to learn about countries of the world, mapping skills, the various winter sports activities and, most importantly, about sportsmanship and fair play. GO CANADA GO! Let the games begin! TDSB News 8 7
Transcript
Bennett’s Blog
By Mr. Brian R. Bennett, Principal
January 31, 2014
Students of the Month 2
Book Nook 3
Hook-a-Book 6
JK Registration 6
Parent Volunteers
Tips From Teachers 8
SAC News 7
Parent/Child Worksheet 9
Inside this issue:
February Calendar
The Heather Heights Herald
Heather Heights P.S. 80 Slan Avenue
Scarborough, Ontario
M1G 3B5
416-396-6305
Principal
Brian Bennett
Office Administrator
Sheri Berkaslan
http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/heatherheights
10
As I look forward to February just around the corner, I am excited about
the many special activities and events that are being planned for our students. A
variety of extra-curricular activities are already underway including the Heather
Heights/VMA Junior Volleyball team and the Heather Heights/VMA Junior Bas-
ketball team. Both teams have been practicing and working very hard to develop
and strengthen their playing skills. All of our student athletes are to be commend-
ed for their excellent teamwork and sportsmanship that they have repeatedly
demonstrated and shown to our opposing team players. We are all rooting and
cheering on our teams and wish them much success for the remainder of the
games.
With February here, we are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Winter
Olympics in Sochi and to cheer on our talented Canadian athletes! To help capture
the spirit of the games and to build school spirit, Heather Heights and the VMA
will be hosting our very own Winter Olympics from February 7th to
February 24th. During this two week period, staff will be running a number of
indoor and outdoor events for the students during morning and afternoon recess.
Events will include hockey, curling, skeleton, bobsleigh, ski jump and the biathlon.
Students and their classmates will have opportunities to win the Gold, Silver or
Bronze medal for these various events. To add to the excitement, each class will
represent a pre-selected country such as Canada, the United States or Russia and
the medals won will be tallied on a large chart in the main foyer. Be sure to ask
your child what country his/her class will be representing in our Olympics! Staff
and students will also participate in an Opening and Closing Ceremony which will
greatly add to the Olympic and school spirit! The Olympics provides
wonderful teaching opportunities for our students in their classrooms to learn
about countries of the world, mapping skills, the various winter sports activities
and, most importantly, about sportsmanship and fair play.
• Using the skills and strengths of all members • Working toward a common goal • Taking a small part in a large job • Working together
Usha
JK
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY 2014
Abigail
JK
Achsuthan
Gr. 4
Val
Gr. 2
Keva
Gr. 2 Hania
Gr. 1
Melekh
Gr. 6 Fatouma
Gr. 6 Arya
Gr. 5
Zayd
Gr. 3
Kindness & Caring What is Kindness & Caring? -Being aware of others’ feelings without teasing or using put-downs -Helping someone who is having a bad day -Demonstrates these attributes toward themselves and others, including family, friends and pets
Jayden
SK
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH FOR DECMEBER 2013
3
The Book N
o
o
k
By: Mrs. Hamouth Jones
Happy New Year to everyone! It’s been a busy January with so many ex-
citing events going on. A great big congratulations to Arya Patel in Mr. Mayo’s
Gr. 5/6 class for posting a book review on the TDSB’s “Just Read It” book site
and for winning a book prize in the draw. Remember, Heather Heights and VMA
students can access the TDSB website from school and from home to recommend
a good book. The site is regularly visited by students throughout the TDSB. What
a wonderful way to share our love of reading with each other. Be sure to check
out photos of our staff reading in “Just Read It” posters up around the school too!
This month we’ve introduced Mystery Mondays. Each Monday during
morning announcements, students are invited to share a wonderful mystery book
that they’ve read or that has been read to them. It’s great oral speech practice and
it’s a fun way for kids to hear what other kids are reading. Congratulations to our
announcers so far – Marissa, Faith, Tulsi, and Bisma!
January 31 will be our second Book-a-Pulooza. Once again, staff will be
reading their favourite books to groups of kids from K- Grade 7 during the final
hour of the day. All the students will be listening to wonderful tales and enjoy the
pleasure of being read to.
February will be another busy month. We will be holding a second Scho-
lastic Book Fair (dates to be announced). There are always so many wonderful
books to suit every taste and reading level. This month also marks the start of the
Forest of Reading programme. We will have a wonderful selection of fiction and
non-fiction books, including picture books and novels. We will have lots of excit-
ing contests and activities going on, so let’s encourage all of our kids to partici-
pate. So many things to look forward to. Let’s keep on reading!!
OPENING CERMONY OF THE
HEATHER HEIGHTS & VMA WINTER OLYMPICS Friday February 7th, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.
Parents & friends are welcome to attend and help to usher in the parade of countries and student athletes!
REPORT CARDS ARE COMING HOME!
Monday February 10th
, 2014
4
How To Improve Your Child’s Reading Comprehension By Ms. Hamouth-Jones
We usually believe that the best way to improve children’s comprehension is for teachers and parents to ask them
questions about the text. However, another very effective strategy is to have the children do the asking. To deepen
a childs understanding, encourage your child to ask good, meaty, questions that encourage higher level thinking.
What are the characteristics of rich, higher order thinking questions?
These questions have answers that are not found in the text.
Your child cannot point to the words in the text that answer his/her question because the answer isn’t there. In-
stead, the answers to these questions depend on your child’s background knowledge, what his/her experiences are,
what books they’ve read, etc.
These questions require more time to answer and are not instantly apparent.
Longer thinking periods are necessary as these answers require your child to form opinions, make predictions,
and access their prior knowledge.
These questions have no wrong answers.
We each make different connections while we read so answers vary from person to person. In many ways, this
element is the one that may “free” the most reluctant readers because they can’t get anything wrong.
By encouraging children to ask questions while and after they read, their comprehension goes beyond the words
on the page. This is a characteristic of good readers. They gain a deeper understanding of their text, and this in
turn leads to richer, more meaningful connections to what they’re reading. Better understanding is a very reward-
ing element and this joy is what creates life-long readers.
Attached find a copy of a Q-Chart to help you and your child explore higher level questioning. Questions from
the upper left quadrant indicate basic comprehension is still emerging. Questions from the lower right quadrant
indicate that your child is accessing higher level meaning from the texts being read. Happy reading everyone!
Math Tip: Multiplying by nine Here is a simple way to multiply by nine using your fingers.
Hold both your hands up with palms facing you. Number the fingers from left to right as one to ten.
Now hold down the finger of the number you want to mul-tiply by nine. In this example, we are going to multiply by eight, so the eighth finger is held down.
The fingers to the left as the tens and the fingers to the right are units. In this example, there are seven fingers to the left (marked blue) and two to the right (marked red) which
TIPS FROM TEACHERS! Monthly Literacy and Numeracy Tips from Heather Heights Teachers
Each month the School Advisory Council is awarding two
students from each class a “Hook-a-Book”
Certificate. Teachers will give council the names of
two students who have shown enthusiasm and passion for
reading. One male and one female student will be selected
from each class. Certificates will be awarded at the monthly
Character Attribute Assembly.
Heather Heights Staff member’s favourite quote about reading for January is Mrs. Berkaslan’s pick:
“A reader lives a thousand lives before they die.
The person who never reads only lives one.”
by George R.R. Martin
I
LOVE
TO
READ
Junior Kindergarten Registration Month
February 3 to February 14
We are registering children born in the year 2010 for Junior Kindergarten. Kindergarten
classes at our school for 2014/2015 school year will be full day classes. Classes will be from 8:40 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Registration will take place by appointment only at the school office from Monday, February 3 to Friday, February 14
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
In order to register, please bring the following original documents for your child:
-Birth Certificate or Immigration papers
-Immunization record
-Health Card
-2 pieces of proof of address such as a purchase agreement, a tax receipt, with a utility bill (Bell Canada, Rogers Cable) for
your address in your name
Registration packages are available for pick up prior to the registration dates.
Registration packages must be completed prior to registration appointments. Feel
free to come to the office to pick one up, or call the office and request one to be sent
home with another child already registered in the school.
Registration is open for students living in our home school area only. If you have
any questions regarding student registration, please contact the school office at
416-396-6305.
In order to secure a
registration appointment,
please call the school of-
fice as soon as possible at
416-396-6305
December’s most enthusiastic readers are:
Kavinmalar from Ms. Pollard
Kunj and Nishaani from Ms. Boddaert
Precious and Logan from Mrs. Ferguson
Mazhar from Ms. Bacvar
Het and Prathna from Ms. Tankard
Jayden H. and Thilina from Ms. Maharaj
Divviyan and Methura from Mr. Mayo
Tiara from Ms. Bridgeman
January’s most enthusiastic readers are:
Vivehan from Ms. Pollard
Abinas and Kishori from Ms. Boddaert
Robert and Tiara from Mrs. Ferguson
Kyan and Unique from Ms. Bacvar
Oveya and Adcharan from Ms. Tankard
Kaaviyan an Ilaakiyan from Ms. Maharaj
Sara and Kajana from Mr. Mayo
Dakota from Ms. Bridgeman
Sharugan from Mr. Kochan
7
School Advisory Council News
By Ken Gilchrist
Happy 2014 to everyone!
One behalf of the Heather Height’s Parent Council I would like to extend to everyone best wishes for a great year.
Thanks to all our Parents, Teachers, Students and friends who supported us last year. We look forward again this
year in sharing with you in all our activities. Valentines and Mothers Day are not far away.
This year using the great momentum from last year we are looking forward to the best Community Day ever. I can
almost taste the yummy food items and hear the happy buzz of children, parents, teachers and friends.
Please remember that all parents are welcome to our meetings which are held on the last Wednesday of every
month. We are looking forward to seeing our Heather Heights Parents out at our next Council meeting: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
VOLUNTEERING IN THE SCHOOL The Criminal Background Check Process
By Mrs. Berkaslan
For parents who wish to volunteer on school trips or at in-school activities a Criminal Background Check is re-
quired. Request a Criminal Background Check form from the school office, complete the form, and return it to the office
with a one time payment of $15.00. The background check takes approximately 10-12 weeks to process. Once cleared,
Toronto Police Services will mail you a form stamped “Cleared”. You MUST bring this form into the school office (if
you do not, then you will not be on the approved to volunteer list). We will make you a photocopy of the cleared form
and send it off to the TDSB head office. They will process your clearance and send the original back to our office. You
will then be put on our school database as a “cleared” volunteer.
Applicants may get a letter from Toronto Police Services asking them to come in for fingerprinting, for
an additional cost. If you get this letter, do not be alarmed. Your name or information may be similar to someone else’s
and they just need additional information to clear you. If you get a letter like this, bring it in to the school office and we
will write a letter for you to take with you so that there is no charge.
It is your responsibility to come into the school office every September and do an oral declaration that you have
not had any offences in the past year. This will keep you on the approved to volunteer list. If you do not complete the
annual declaration, then you will have to apply for the Criminal Background Check over again and pay $15.00 as well as
the 10-12 week waiting period.
If you have any questions, or would like to request a Criminal Background Check form, please contact Mrs.
Berkaslan or Ms. Mascherin at 416-396-6305.
WINTER WALK DAY
Wednesday February 5th
, 2014 Winter Walk Day is place all across Canada! It is a great time to remind school communities that walking
is a physical activity that can take place during all four seasons of the year. Not only does this from of ac-
tive transportation engage students in physical activity, it is also an opportunity for them to socialize with
friends and increase awareness of daily and seasonal changes in their community.
Let’s encourage all of our Heather Heights students to walk to school on Wednesday February 5th!
POPCORN FRIDAYS!!
Popcorn will be sold every Friday in February. Students can purchase popcorn for $1.50 during
the afternoon recess.
VALENTINE COOKIES!!
Vanilla Cookies with heart sprinkles will be sold beginning Wednesday, February 5th. Students
can purchase cookies during morning recess from Ms. Maharaj (Room 105) for $2.00 each.
8
TDSB NEWS
February is African Heritage Month
African Heritage Month is a time for TDSB staff and students to learn about and pay tribute to the many
ways in which Black Canadians and people of the African Diaspora have helped shape our society, and to
recognize the invaluable contributions they have made to our province, country and world.
Throughout the month of February, TDSB schools will engage in local initiatives, and participate in a va-
riety of community events that reflect this history of a people and the countless triumphs and struggles
they have experienced over hundreds of years. TDSB's Equitable and Inclusive Schools site provides
many opportunities to reflect, celebrate and bring to life the rich legacy of the African Diaspora for our
diverse local school communities.
February 17 is a Statutory Holiday
There will be no classes on Monday, February 17, 2014 to reflect the province-wide statutory holiday
called Family Day. The holiday occurs on the third Monday in February of each year for the purpose of
emphasizing and celebrating the importance of families taking time to be together.
Visit the TDSB public web site at www.tdsb.on.ca to view the school year calendar.
Elementary Academies
Registration for the five Elementary Academies kicks off this month, providing exciting opportunities for
students to explore their individuality and creativity within the TDSB.
The five Academies - including Boys' Leadership, Girls' Leadership, Sports and Wellness, Health and
Wellness and Vocal Music - opened in nine schools across the Board in September 2012. These Acade-
mies build on the TDSB's record of creating programs that promote excellence and encourage the talents
of students in new and innovative ways. Students attending an Academy are part of a culture that balanc-
es academic excellence with a focus on personal leadership, character development and innovation. They
provide a dynamic array of learning options to follow their own path to success. There are no specific
admission requirements - just interest and passion.
Learn English with Us
The TDSB offers free English as a Second Language classes in communities across the city, to adults who
are residents of Canada or are applying for residency. Build your literacy and English language skills.
Learn about your community and the services available. Prepare for further education, citizenship and lan-
guage proficiency tests. Improve your conversation skills. Discover our bilingual programs, where Eng-
lish is taught with the help of other languages.
Visit www.ESLtoronto.ca or call 416-338-4300.
9
TEAMWORK Dear Parent, Guardian, or Caregiver: Your child is involved in learning activities designed to develop good character and help children make good choices. Our focus this month has been on TEAMWORK.
Your child can show teamwork by:
helping to complete a household chore with other members of the family
working with peers in a group to complete school assignments
participating in a sport and working as part of a team to be successful
taking responsibility in household chores for the benefit of the family Questions to discuss with your child:
What does it mean to be a team player at home and to be an integral part of the family?
How do you deal appropriately with conflict when it occurs during teamwork?
What are some of the ways to resolve some of the arguments that occur at home?
Sometimes a teammate may have to make a sacrifice so that the team can succeed. What does this mean?
Projects to do together:
Play games as a family to develop teamwork and good sportsmanship.
Participate in sports or leisure activities together and encourage communication including active listen-ing.
Encouraging teamwork in your child:
Stress the importance of teamwork and the aspects of being a team player that make being on a team worthwhile.
Stress the importance of willing to work and play with others at school, in the home, and in the commu-nity.
Share a story that will help your child understand that sometimes “fair” does not mean “equal.”
Thank you for supporting our Character Development program.
