The Villager
Stories from the Countryside: Spring Edition
Message from Mrs. Pratt, Principal of Countryside Village Public School
We are at the point of the school year when winter has ended (we hope) and we look forward to all that spring has to offer. We also begin to think about endings. We are very quickly reaching the end of another school year. Once we get into the month of April, the last three months of school seem to fly by.
This 'race to the end' feeling may be due to the many events that occur for students and parents as we wrap up the year. Very soon, we will be celebrating public education during Education Week and celebrating diversity on the Day of Pink. Field trips and special events such as graduation will be planned as we say goodbye to another successful school year. In addition to participating in all of these special activities, students also have these last few months to 'wrap up' their learning and demonstrate to their teachers all of the knowledge and skills that they have acquired during the year. Leadership opportunities abound for our older students and pave the way for beginning their secondary school journey.
As this year quickly comes to a close, we look forward to beginning the journey at our new location and have our fingers crossed that we will be able to move in by September. If that does not happen, we will have an alternate plan in place to ensure that students continue to receive an excellent education no matter where we are located.
Please make sure, as we wind down the year, that you follow your child's teacher and the school on social media - this is the best way to keep in touch with us. As always, we appreciate hearing from you. We are just a phone call away and always welcome a visit.
Upcoming Events
Peel Board Celebrates Public Education During Education Week – April 18 to 22
Countryside Village Public School will celebrate Education Week 2016 from April 18 to 22. The theme for this year's focus on education is You Inspire.
Parents are invited to come for a classroom visit on Tuesday April 19, Wednesday April 20th or Thursday April 21st between 2:15 and 3:15 pm. This is an excellent opportunity to see inquiry-based learning as it is happening with your children.
In addition, the Grade 12 Geography students from Mayfield Secondary School will be visiting their Grade 7 and 8 learning partners during Education Week to continue their co-learning water project.
School Council - Chat and Chai on April 12th
Professional Development Days April 11th and May 13th
Monday April 11th and Friday May 13th are PD Days for students. On those days, teachers will be learning about ways to improve mathematical instruction and will participate in important Occupational Health and Safety training. There is no school for students on either days.
The Countryside Village Book Fair is Just Around the Corner
Countryside Village Public School Goes Pink on April 12th
April 13 is Day of Pink, the international day to celebrate diversity and inclusion to work towards ending homophobia, transphobia and all forms of bullying and discrimination. This year, there are several bolded holy days taking place on April 13. In order to give all of our students an opportunity to be part of this important inclusion activity, Peel District School Board schools will recognize Day of Pink on April 12 this year.
“Equity and inclusion is something that all Peel schools teach throughout the year and discuss with students daily—it is embedded in everything we do,” says Tony Pontes, director of education. “Day of Pink is just one more way for us to ensure students and staff learn, work and develop in environments that are safe, equitable, inclusive, respectful and nurturing for all.”
Day of Pink began when a high school student in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, was bullied with homophobic language because he wore a pink shirt to school. The next day, hundreds of students at his school stood up to bullying and wore pink to school to show their support for equity and inclusion.
On this day, students, staff and families from Countryside Village Public School may wear pink and will participate in activities to support our belief that everyone deserves to be included and respected.
Graduate Photographs - Grade 8 and Senior Kindergarten - April 21st
Thursday April 21st is grad picture day for Grade 8 and Senior Kindergarten students. Remember to wear your biggest smiles as this will be a milestone photo!
Learning Around the School
Collaboration By: Sanjyah S., Parth K., Shemar S. and Amitesh J.
Over the last few weeks, Countryside Village P.S. students from grades 7 and 8 have been walking to Mayfield S.S. to collaborate with grade 12 students from the Environmental Science class in the Geography Department.
Each week students have been researching the topic water, specifically from a local perspective. Some areas being explored are contaminated water, septic tank versus municipal sewage, water filtration and sanitation. This has been a positive experience for all involved. As one grade 8 student stated, “Working with the grade 12 students has been a fun experience.” Another student shared,” I have enjoy seeing the way the grade 12 students format their research.”
This cross panel inquiry has been a great experience for all students. Learning from each other through this collaboration has developed everyone’s understanding about the topic of water.
Eco-Schools By: Prusha B. and Aaron P.
This year Countryside Village Public School had an opportunity to work towards becoming an Eco-School. This initiative encourages all students to become more eco friendly and learn to understand that everyday actions at school can impact the environment around us. Students of Countryside Village P.S. have been recycling, conserving energy and participating in activities such as the Great Gulp. Stay tuned to find out if Countryside Village P.S. qualifies for an Eco-School certification when we submit our application on April 29th.
Grab-n-Go By: Sunpreet V., Aaron P. and Prusha B.
What started as a data management and health assignment evolved into Countryside Village Public School’s Grab and Go Initiative. The Grab-n-Go Initiative gives all the kids in our school the opportunity to enjoy healthy snacks throughout the day. These healthy snacks are located outside of the school’s main office. Since the launch (February) of Grab-n-Go an average of 114 students have participated in this program. We hope to continue this initiative in the upcoming months as we believe that healthy eating improves performance in class.
News from Mrs. Forrest's Grade 1/2 Class
We have had a busy spring and it's only just begun! We are immersed in and gathering information about animals. During our explorations, we have narrowed down an animal that each student is fascinated by and now are beginning our personal inquiries on that animal. Questions are surfacing each day like, "What does it eat? How big is it? What happens when it dies? Why doesn't it freeze in the winter?" Information about adaptations, characteristics and life cycles of animals are being enthusiastically queried, researched and analyzed.
Using various software programs like Adobe Voice, and Educreations as well as a wide variety of physical materials the students will create ways to share their learning to a wider audience; so many opportunities for authentic reasons to read and write.
In Math, we are exploring measurement to create animal habitats and using our knowledge about money to "purchase" building materials. To see all of the exciting developments and a-ha moments please watch @FriendlyForrest as we will be tweeting out our learning.
Student Council News
The Countryside Village Student Council continues to meet, plan and run events that make Countryside Village a special and fun place to come to each day. Our last spirit day let us show our 'sunny ways' as we frolicked in our beachwear.
To continue to build spirit this April we will have two spirit days: Raptors and Blue Jay Days. Stay tuned for more information. Our junior and intermediate students are looking for ways to help our newly arrived Syrian families and will be sending out details shortly about how you can help too. We certainly have change makers here at Countryside Village P.S.
Birthday Loot Bags and Birthday or Special Event Food
Parent resources help you support your child’s learning
At the Peel board, our mission is to inspire success, confidence and hope in each child. There is no doubt that families play a vital role in helping us achieve this goal. As our partner in education, we hope you'll stay connected to your child's learning throughout his or her entire school experience.
Visit www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild to explore all resources available to parents. There you will find easy-to-navigate buttons that connect families to tip sheets and web pages on a number of different topics, including math, homework, special education, EQAO and mental health.
Peel Explore and Learn Centres
School Age Programs & Day Camps
Engaging and supervised Before & After School Programs are available at Countryside Village Public School. 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!
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
Bus Cancellations in Caledon DOES NOT mean for Countryside Village
Although we hope that the severe winter weather is over we can never be sure! If you hear on the radio or television that busses are cancelled in Caledon, Countryside Village busses will still be running because they are not Caledon busses. Please use the information provided below and on the green sheet that you were given at registration for any bus information.
Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio and television stations and posted at www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca. Information will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE LATE BUS NOTIFICATIONS
Go to www.stopr.ca
Click on “For Late Bus Notifications and Inclement Weather cancellations, please visit delays and cancellation” – This is printed in RED about 1/3 the way down the page
Click on “Subscriptions” at the top right of the page.
Click on “Subscribe”
Enter your email address
Click on “Subscribe”
You will get an email asking you to confirm your subscription. Click on “Confirm” which will open a link asking you to set a password and also confirm that password.
You will get a thank you for confirming your subscription and telling you to Login to manage your subscription.
Enter your email address and password; click on Login
From the drop down menu for “Find Your Route by:” pick “School Name” and in the next dropdown you look for Countryside Village PS and now click on “Find”
Click on the two routes that correspond to your child’s bus:
BUS 1: 513.001 & 513.101
BUS 2: 513.002 & 513.102
BUS 3: 513.003 & 513.103
BUS 4: 513.004 & 513.104
BUS 5: 513.005 & 513.105
BUS 6: 513.006 & 513.106
BUS 7: 513.007 & 513.107
At bottom of the table, click on the button that says “Subscribe”
Scroll back to the top of the page, you will see “Current Subscriptions” which should now list your buses.
Register your children born in 2012 for kindergarten
We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2012, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2016. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school he/she will be attending to register.
What you will need to bring to registration:
Proof of child's age (one of the following)
Canadian birth certificate
Canadian passport
citizenship card/certificate
Permanent Resident Card
confirmation of permanent residence
work permit
refugee permit
Proof of address (one of the following)
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 arrangement
Proof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated
Let’s Talk: Provide input on the Peel District School Board’s 2016-2017 Budget Priorities
The Peel District School Board has a long history of fiscal responsibility, focused on a mission to inspire success, confidence and hope in each student. Through our goal to use resources effectively to enhance student achievement, the board has been able to do so in an efficient and sustainable manner, while supporting the needs of all learners.
To guide the Peel board in the development of its 2016-17 school year budget, trustees are seeking input from staff, parent, student and community members. We’d like to hear from you about what you see as budget priorities for the upcoming school year.
To provide input, individuals may:
Delegate the board at Regular Meetings of the Board on April 26, 2016, or May 10, 2016.
Provide input through your School Council. Please contact your School Council chair to find out when budget consultation will be discussed at an upcoming meeting.
- Complete a brief, online survey at www.peelschools.org/BUDGET by May 13, 2016.
Before you provide input, you may choose to refer to the Peel board’s Report Card for Student Success at www.reportcardforstudentsuccess.org in an effort to align your ideas with the board’s strategic plan, goals and key priorities. Other resources are available at www.peelschools.org/BUDGET.
Nutritious lunches help children learn
Use Canada’s Food Guide to help your child get nutrients and energy needed to have a successful school day.
Try to give your child some choice about what to take for lunch. If possible, get your child involved in preparing meals.
Give your child a variety of healthy choices. Keeping your child interested in lunch is the first step to making sure it is eaten.
Make the food easy to eat. If it will take your child a few minutes to unwrap a sandwich, it may be skipped.
Resist the temptation to routinely send sweets, pop, chips and cookies in your child's lunch. Save treats for special occasions.
Try to avoid fast food or pre-packaged, convenience lunches, which are often high in salt and fat.
Do your best to role model healthy eating behaviours for your family.
To speak to a registered dietitian about healthy food choices, call EatRight Ontario at 1-877-510-5102.
For more information about the policy, visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healthyschools. If you have questions about how we are implementing the School Food and Beverage Policy, please call the school.
Subscribe to receive news from the Peel Board
During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather. Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be posted at www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca.
You can also subscribe to receive:
News releases
Keep up with the news at the Peel board. Subscribe to receive Peel board news releases to learn more about board news and school events.
Board agendas
Learn more about Peel board meetings by subscribing to receive agendas. Meetings of the board are open to the public and are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
Board highlights
Briefing is a newsletter with highlights of decisions made by trustees at board meetings. It is sent out on the second and fourth Thursday of every month and immediately following any special board meetings.
Job postings for non-teaching staff
Learn about each new non-teaching job that is posted on the Peel board's Job Board.
Keep in Touch with Twitter and YouTube!
We are excited to announce the launch of our school Twitter and Youtube accounts.
These accounts will be used as a means of communicating and sharing with you; to announce upcoming events, to send reminders and to recognize the achievements and personal accomplishments of our students.
Follow us on Twitter at @CountrysidePDSB and Countryside Village on YouTube by clicking on subscribe.
Countryside Village Public School
Email: countrysidevillage.ps@gmail.com
Location: 12175 Bramalea Road, Caledon East, ON, Canada
Phone: 905-843-2927
Twitter: @countrysidepdsb