The Villager
Stories from the Countryside: Final Edition of 2014-15
A Goodbye Message from Mrs. Pratt, principal of Countryside Village
This is the time of year for goodbyes. Usually we only have a few people to send off with our best wishes. However, this year is different as we are saying goodbye to most of our school. It has been an unusual year because we started with very few students and have more than doubled our population since September. Most of our students will be leaving us to go to their new schools; Aylesbury Public School or Alloa Public School. We wish all of these students well as they take their experiences and learning from Countryside Village Public School and use them to learn new things and make new memories at their new locations.
As well, we say goodbye to a few staff members who will be on leave, looking for new positions or working at new schools next year:
Mr. Celebre - Stanley Mills Public School
Ms. Harper - Gordon Graydon Senior Public School
Mrs. Huys - Homestead Public School
Mme Mancini - Castle Oaks Public School
Mrs. Myton - Aylesbury Public School
Ms. Wedemire-Roberts - Fallingbrook Middle School
Ms. Singh (leave)
Ms. Alvaro
Ms. Brown
Mrs. Shewfelt - Macville Public School (.5)
We wish them well as they move to new places and know that they will take the spirit of Countryside Village with them to share with their new students.
We also say a fond farewell to Ms. Godsoe, our Vice Principal. Ms. Godsoe has been appointed the new Vice Principal of Fairlawn Public School. Her gentle nature and reasoned approach will be missed at Countryside Village. The staff and students at her new school are very fortunate to have such an experienced educator and leader helping them on their learning journey.
And as we say goodbye we also wish everyone, both those who are leaving and those who will be returning in September, a safe and happy summer break. Each day we have encouraged you to use play to find your passion and purpose. We hope that you continue to find ways to inquire into the things that interest you and to demonstrate the love of learning that we have tried to foster in you at Countryside Village Public School this year.
Farewell!
What's Been Going on in "The Village"
Grade 1 Children’s Fair
On June 17th, the grade 1s in Ms. Pagé’s class ran the Children’s Fair for all kindergartens. The idea started a month earlier in class while learning about community building. 1B decided that they would each come up with a station that they would then share with the kindergartens to teach them about community helpers or how to be a good community member. The grade 1s also decided that this would be a good opportunity to raise money for our library to get more books about communities. Students made movies, books, games, community safety posters and a bake sale as part of their stations.
Amna and Lovedeep at the Bean Bag Toss station. (ABOVE LEFT)
The fair was a complete success and gave the grade 1s a chance to learn and develop their social skills. We saw students being kind, respectful, helpful, asking questions and responding to questions.
Amanpreet teaching kindergartens how to grow plants. (ABOVE MIDDLE) Jaskaran and Sahil explaining the rules at the Bowling station (ABOVE RIGHT).
The Children’s Fair raised a total of $50.24 for the library.
Here is what a few grade 1s had to say about the discoveries they made that day:
- I discovered that some kids holding objects have a hard time listening because it distracts them - Malaika
- I discovered that kids had to spread out from the skipping rope so that you wouldn’t get hurt – Sumaya
- I discovered that rules for our game need to be really clear –Sahil
- Sometimes you can show the rules to help – Jeremy
- It is important to repeat the rules and always be polite – Raunak
- Listening is not just done by being quiet, you also listen with your face – Rishi
- I discovered that it is easier when people already know how to play the game –Amna
- I discovered that windy days are not good for outdoor bowling, we need to think about the weather when we plan our activity – Jaskaran
- I discovered that if no one had a question, I could ask them a question instead – Ishaan
Summertime Information for Families
3 steps to quality summer child care for your child
If you have a school-age child, finding summer child care can be a real challenge. But you can follow these three simple steps to help you choose a program that’s best for your family. It will mean a summer full of fun and learning for your child—and peace of mind for you.
Step 1 - Call Child Care Info Peel (905-890-9432 or 1-888-836-5550)
Child care experts provide specific information about summer camps and other child care providers in your neighbourhood. They can answer your questions and give you information to help you choose the program that’s right for your family.
It’s a good idea to call the info line early to give yourself enough time to investigate potential programs and make your decision before the program fills up.
Step 2
Schedule an appointment to meet with the program director or to speak over the phone, so that you can get more information about the program. If possible, visit the program or the facility in which it will be held. The more information you have, the better you will be able to decide if this program is a good "fit" for your child and your family.
Step 3
When you are checking out summer programs, don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions—it’s the best way to make sure you have all the information you need. In general, you will want to ask questions about the program, staff, health and safety practices, food provided, and costs.
For more information, call Child Care Info Peel or visit www.cdrcp.com/ccip.html.
Peel Explore and Learn Centres
School Age Programs and Day Camps
Engaging and supervised Before & After School Programs will be available inside Countryside Village Public School in 2015-2016. These programs are for students in junior and senior kindergarten, as well as Grades 1 to 6. Through the school holidays and on professional activity (PA) days exciting Day Camps are also available.
The Programs are operated by Peel Explore & Learn Centres and licensed by the Ministry of Education. Our goal is to engage school-aged children when school is out.
The Before School Program opens at 7 am and offers a nutritious breakfast snack and a range of activities each morning.
The After School Program starts once school is dismissed and continues until 6 pm. Children enjoy a healthy snack and weekly programming, participate in recreational activities, and have support to complete school assignments.
The Day Camps offer full days of excitement combining engaging programming with physical activity, creative arts, and field trips!
Registration for Summer Camp & the 2015-2016 School Year is Now Open
To register or for more information contact us at,
- PEALCentres@gmail.com or,
- (905) 790-6958
Child care subsidy from the Region of Peel is accepted
See www.peelregion.ca/children or call (905) 793-7200 for information
Preparing for the summer sun
Excessive exposure to the sun can lead to health concerns such as sunburn and skin cancer. As summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, it is necessary to apply sunscreen to protect ourselves from too much sun damage and burns.
In summer, we are exposed to higher levels of ultraviolet (UV) rays. This exposure is a risk factor for developing skin cancer and cataracts later in life. The UV index is the measure commonly used in Canada to assess the strength of the sun’s UV rays risk on a given day.
What is the UV Index?
The index scale ranges from 0 to 10. The higher the value, the more intense ultraviolet rays.
The UV index is calculated daily by Environment Canada using ozone and weather information. It can vary from day to day with changes in the ozone layer – the thinner the ozone layer, the higher the index reading.
How to protect your family from the sun?
- Wear a hat (preferably with a broad brim), sunglasses and protective clothing on sunny days.
- Use sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or greater whenever you're outdoors.
- Encourage your children to play in shady areas if they are outside for a long period of time.
- Remember that sunburn can occur even on a cloudy day, as up to 80 per cent of UV rays can penetrate light clouds, and 40 per cent of UV rays can bounce back from sand, water or concrete.
Summer activities that boost learning
Kindergarten to grade 4
Sorting and stacking – Teach classification skills with dinnerware. Ask your child to match and stack dishes of similar sizes and shapes. Also have your child sort flatware – forks with forks, spoons with spoons. This is like recognizing the shapes of letters and numbers.
Comic strip writing – Use comic strips to help with writing. Cut the segments of a comic strip apart and ask your child to arrange them in order. Then ask your child to fill in the words of the characters (orally or in writing).
Float and sink – Encourage hypothesizing (guessing). Use several objects – soap, a dry sock, a bottle of shampoo, a wet sponge, an empty bottle. Ask your child which objects will float when dropped into water in a sink or bathtub. Then drop the objects in the water, one by one, to see what happens.
Grades 5 to 8
Follow the news – As a family, choose an important news event to follow for a day or two. Ask each person to find as much information on the topic as possible – read newspapers, look at online news webpages, listen to the radio and watch TV news. Then talk about what everyone learned.
Pro and con: what do you think? – Make a family game of discussing a special issue. For example, "Teenagers should be allowed to vote," or "There should never be any homework." Ask your children to think of all the reasons they can to support their views. Then ask them to think of reasons opposing their views. Which views are most convincing? For variety, assign family members to teams and have them prepare their arguments pro and con.
Stretch, run, walk – Ask your child to do at least one kind of exercise every day. For example, run or walk briskly for 10 minutes. Walk, when possible, instead of driving, for any distance less than a mile. Have your child make a week-long exercise plan. Try to think of a modest reward for sticking to the plan and exercise with your child.
Let your voice be heard – Promote good citizenship. Help your child write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper about an issue affecting children – for example, suggest that a bike path be built near the school or that a city event be planned for youngsters. Children are citizens, and their ideas are worth hearing.
40 hours to graduate
Since 1999, all students in Ontario secondary schools are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement in order to receive a diploma. The purpose of this requirement is to encourage students to develop an understanding of the various roles they can play in their community. Students are now able to start accumulating community involvement hours in the summer before they enter grade 9.
Research shows that early involvement in community service helps students build a spirit of civic responsibility which can be expanded as they move through secondary school. The aim of the 40-hour requirement is to encourage students to become actively involved in making positive contributions to their community.
The community involvement component is an opportunity for students and parents to work together, independent of the school. With parent support, your teen is responsible for finding and completing 40 hours of community service.
Parents should provide assistance to their teen in the selection of community involvement activities. Here’s how to get started:
- Spend some time with your teen going through the list of eligible and ineligible activities in the Peel District School Board’s “40 Hours” brochure. You can obtain a copy of the brochure from your school or online at www.peelschools.org/students/40hours/
- View online resources at www.peelschools.org/students/40hours/
- Visit http://www.peelschools.org/students/40hours/volunteerjobboard/ for available volunteer opportunities
Please note that the selection of the activities should take into account the age, maturity, and ability of the student, and the location and environment of the proposed activity.
Countryside Village Public School
Email: countrysidevillage.ps@gmail.com
Location: 12175 Bramalea Road, Caledon East, ON, Canada
Phone: 905-843-2927
Twitter: @countrysidepdsb