The Villager
Stories from the Countryside: End of Year Edition
Message from Mrs. Pratt, Principal of Countryside Village Public School
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 the majority of our school. It has been an unusual year because we started the year with very few students and have more than doubled our population since September. What also makes it unusual is that we are sending many of our students not very far to the new James Grieve Public School. The other twist in this farewell is that because Countryside Village's new school will not be ready for us in September, we will be back at the James Grieve location with our Countryside Village students and will be sharing the building with our James Grieve friends. If this is very confusing, please see the information posted later in this email that will hopefully help to make this all clear!
In any event, we wish all of our James Grieve friends 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 school.
As well, we say goodbye to a few staff members who will be working at new schools or new positions next year:
Mr. Phil Young – The Valleys Senior Public School
Ms. Karoline Nielsen – Instructional Coach at North Field Office
Mme Olga Simanovich – Great Lakes Public School
Mrs. Julianne Lindsay – SouthFields Village Public School
Mrs. Freeha Rizvi – Champlain Trail Public School
Mr. David Hunter - Calderstone Middle School
Mrs. Dhawne Foster - on leave
Ms. Chandan Dulku - occasional teaching
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 welcome some new staff to our ‘Village’ for the upcoming school year:
Ms. Rachel Mohammed – FDK
Mrs. Catherine Pagett – FDK
We look forward to having them join the 'Village' and know that they will become 'Villagers' in no time.
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!
Important News for Countryside Village Students
IMPORTANT CHANGE COMING SEPTEMBER 2016
Report student absences through new SafeArrival system
Beginning Sept. 6, 2016, all parents/guardians need to report their children’s full-day absences, late arrivals and/or early departures from school via our new automated SafeArrival phone number at 1-855-209-6155, online at pdsb.schoolconnects.com, or by downloading the mobile app for Apple and Android devices. For absences longer than 5 consecutive school days, please contact the school office.
Parents are encouraged to provide an email address to schools. Parents who have an email address on file at school will receive an email invitation from Synrevoice Technologies during the week of August 29. The invitation will include login information. Starting the week of August 29, parents who do not have an email address on file at the school can visit pdsb.schoolconnects.com and choose CREATE LOGIN to create your account and receive login credentials that can be used online or with the mobile app. Parents need to have a cell phone that is capable of receiving text messages to complete the setup process. The cell phone number must be on file with the school. All three options are available 24 hours a day.
There is no longer an absence reporting phone line at school. If you have any questions or require any assistance, contact the school directly.
New School Phone Number for September 2016
40 hours to graduate – Grade 8 students can start this summer
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 encouraged 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 www.peelschools.org/students/40hours 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.
James Grieve or Countryside Village - What School Will You Attend in September?
Countryside Village Public School - 40 Dolbyhill Drive, Brampton, Ontario
We Welcome the World
The Peel District School Board’s We Welcome the World Centres located in Brampton, Malton and Mississauga, are the first point of contact for all newcomer families to become familiar with the educational system in Peel. The centres are open all year—including the summer months.
In addition to providing literacy and numeracy assessments, We Welcome the World Centres provide newcomers with a host of services including: reception, orientation, interpretation and referrals.
At each centre, parents/guardians and students will discover:
computer portals—guided introduction to the Peel Welcome to School Kits and other Peel resources
settlement service information
translation of materials to support the reception and assessment process
age and grade appropriate educational and related program resources
audio-visual materials to explain the adult education program
professionally administered child-care (only available during assessment and orientation process)
information about various community supports and programming available
For more information about the We Welcome the World Centre and the services they provide, call 905-366-8791.
Happenings Around the School
Annual School-Wide Hike at Cold Creek Conservation Area
Forest of Reading
Welcome to Kindergarten 2016 - Parents and new JK students learn about Kindergarten at Countryside Village
Countryside Village celebrates George's Birthday with a Play Day
George has many admirers!
George is always smiling especially on his birthday. How old do you think he is?
George helps Jeet to supervise his activity.
Grade 8 Students' Water Legacy
Countryside Village Grade 8 students are leaving a positive legacy for future students at James Grieve Public School. Early in the school year, they submitted a proposal to the Town of Caledon for a grant to install a water bottle filling station at the school. After many volunteer hours selling cookies and delivering school pizzas they were able to raise approximately $1500.00 to add to the $2000.00 grant. As part of their grant proposal, students agreed to study the importance of clean water in their community and collaborated with Grade 12 Geography students from Mayfield Secondary School to investigate water and its future. Well done, Grade 8 - you have made a positive contribution to your school and are congratulated for your good citizenship!
Senior Kindergarten students reach their first milestone - Kindergarten Graduation!
Goodbye Lacey!
Grade 8 Farewell - Graduation and Principal's Luncheon
Cotton Candy Fun at the Mandarin!
Graduation Cake and Cupcakes
Graduates in Silhouette
Eco Schools - Silver Medal
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. We are happy to report that we were awarded a silver accreditation. This is amazing for our first effort. Well done, Countryside Village! You have shown that you really care about our environment.
Birthday Loot Bags and Birthday or Special Event Food
"Mom/Dad I'm Bored!" What can You Do on your Summer Vacation
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.
Daily Physical Activity - Encourage your child to play, run, jump and explore in the out of doors every day.
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.
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
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