The Villager
Stories from the Countryside: Issue Six
UPCOMING IN THE VILLAGE
The Let's Move Campaign for Heart and Stroke.
March Break beginning the 14th to 22nd.
Our first Countryside newscast in late March, so check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqXUJPGZpR4 and click the link below the video to subscribe to our channel.
LEt's Move Campaign
"With research indicating that activity levels for most children and youth aren't sufficient for healthy growth and development and that obesity rates and the risk of chronic diseases are on the rise, everyone seems to agree that daily physical activity for Ontario’s youth is a great idea... but since the requirement was announced, implementing it has presented its share of challenges. After all, Ontario’s educators are busy—really busy! And while they understand the benefits of getting kids active on a daily basis, they’re sometimes hard pressed to find the time."
- OPHEA Canada
The CSV Let's Move Campaign has seen students learning the Let's Move dance with their class https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TimvpO7TZMA. And beginning on Monday March 9th to Thursday March 12th, the "Let's Move" song will be played over the PA, and students will dance as a part of our DPA. This will build to our final event on Friday March 13th where we will meet as a school community in the gymnasium to perform the dance together.
We are asking students to bring in one Toonie for the Heart and Stroke foundation. Students and teachers are encouraged to wear red and white on Friday to support Canada and our endeavour for healthy hearts.
Recent Activities in the Village
OUR Classes Have been working on...
From K through 8 our kids have been exploring new concepts and ideas; learning about the challenges faced by those who struggled for their freedom, developing their geographical understanding of place and location by creating and analyzing maps, exploring various mathematical concepts such as weight, mass, fractions, perimeter, area, height...
Countryside is Looking for You...
Numeracy and Beyond: Parent Conference
The Peel District School Board is hosting its annual parent conference on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School in Brampton. This year, Numeracy & Beyond: Parent Conference, will focus on numeracy—25 out of 60 workshops help with math.
Parents will still have the opportunity to attend workshops on other topics, including literacy, special education and science.
This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels.
Space is limited. Registration closes March 27.
Stay up-to-date!
For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.
Maple Syrup Sugar Bush at Jack Smythe Field Centre
Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as spring blossoms. The Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional family experience with a visit to its Maple Syrup Sugar Bush. The March Break program runs from Wed., March 18, to Sat., March 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Sugar Bush program has been established for more than 15 years and provides families with an educational activity and a hands-on experience. The program is run by Peel District School Board teachers and staff during March Break.
Families are invited to get involved as spring comes to life in the following activities:
· help tap trees and empty sap buckets
· sample some freshly made maple syrup
· hike along our trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand
· learn how pioneers collected and produced syrup compared to modern-day operations
· visit the sugar shack where the sap boils and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of the chimney
The cost is $5/adult and $4/child 12 and under (cash only). Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hot dogs for you to roast over an open fire.
Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta:
North on Mississauga Road, left on King Street (you will see Credit View Public School on your left), right on Winston Churchill Boulevard (you must pass Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) and proceed to the top of the hill and left into the Jack Smythe site.
For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771.
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, WeChat, Vine and Kik 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.
Register today for Adult ESL non-credit courses
Do you know an adult in Peel that is interested in improving their English language skills for work, study or daily life?
The Peel District School Board offers Adult ESL courses at three locations in Brampton and Mississauga. Winter courses begin February 2, 2015.
To learn more or to register, call 905-270-6000. Registration is ongoing and continues after courses have started.
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, visit www.peelschools.org/adulteducation.
Twitter: @PDSBLearnESL
Kids’ CBC hosts a free family kite festival event on
March 21 & 22
This free family event will feature an exciting day full of fun for kids as they make kites, rangoli designs, spin tops, hear South Asian stories and enjoy a digital gaming zone and more. They will also meet and greet with their favourite Kids’ CBC characters including host Patty, Daniel Tiger, Bookaboo and Super WHY!
The kids will have a chance to appear on camera, as Kids’ CBC camera crew captures fun moments of the day to be featured on-air and on the Kids’ CBC YouTube Channel.
Saturday March 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Mississauga Central Library
301 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga
Sunday March 22, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Bramalea City Centre
25 Peel Centre Drive, Brampton
For more information on the event and Kids’ CBC, visit www.cbc.ca/parents.
Celebrating Faith and Culture March 2015
Countryside Village Public School
Website: http://schools.peelschools.org/1513/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 12175 Bramalea Road, Brampton, ON L7C2P9
Phone: 905-843-2927
Twitter: @CountrysidePDSB