Walnut Grove PS
May, 2021 Newsletter
Walnut Grove PS
Principal: M. Casciato
Vice Principals: S. Rofaiel, H. Baxter
Superintedant: Patrika Daws
Trustee: Carrie Andrews
Email: walnutgrove.ps@peelsb.com
Website: http://schools.peelschools.org/1416/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 10 Pinestaff Rd, Brampton, ON, Canada
Phone: 905-796-4572
Twitter: @WalnutGrovePS
Principal's Message
As you already know, learning remains remote until further notice. We will communicate any changes as soon as we are made aware.
We are in the last couple of months of the school year. It is hard to believe we are already in May! This is an excellent time to support your child(ren) to develop their independence. This can be done in many ways: having the child share with you what is expected of them first, before explaining the expectations to them, setting a timer for 10 or more minutes (as appropriate for your child's age) to complete work independently without your help, and have them come up with questions to ask their teacher at the next opportunity to clarify an assignment or clear up their understanding of a concept. Allowing the child to have ownership and manage their learning independently supports them in making decisions to regulate, direct and assess their learning progress.
The week of May 3-7 is Children's Mental Health Week. An email was sent last week to all parents with a list of webinars that have been planned by the Board for students and families. The email contains links to register. The staff continue to include wellness activities throughout the week in the form of circles, and other mindful activities. We recently concluded wellness workshops with BRAVE Education. The students in grade 5 - 8 were fully engaged in the conversations and workshops. Wellness continues to be our priority as we continue to navigate the pandemic.
It is my sincere wish that all of our Walnut Grove families are doing well, and remain safe. If you need to contact the school, please either leave a phone message or email our school email account. Both are checked regularly. Of course, you can email and connect with your child's teacher to check in about progress or if you have any questions.
Stay safe. Stay well.
Mrs. M. Casciato
What's Happening at Walnut Grove
Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Work
Staff had powerful discussions and concluded by revising their 'theories of action' or 'small moves' to leverage their own learning commitment as anti-racist educators.
The journey to eradicate racism starts with self and the development of critical consciousness. Although it can be difficult, our staff are committed.
'Brave' Presentations on 'Mental Health During COVID'
Walnut Grove puts the spotlight on Asian Heritage
In December 2001, the Senate adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.
Throughout May, students, staff and parents from across Peel will participate in a number of virtual activities that promote the understanding of the many contributions made by Asian Canadians.
One of our Grade 2 students put together a Sikh Heritage poem about his patka.
May 12 – Celebrate Peel IT Support Staff and Media Support Services Appreciation Day
This year, the Peel District School Board will recognize the contributions of its IT support staff and media support services on May 12, 2021. The Peel board appreciates the important work of these individuals to ensure that innovative, reliable and adaptable solutions are available to support student success through equitable access to technology. We thank them for providing quality service and for supporting students and staff every day.
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, YouTube and Whatsapp 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.
“The Mental Health Resource Team is GROWING!”
From the PDSB Mental Health Resource Team
The Mental Health Resource Team is excited to welcome 8 new Mental Health Resource Clinicians and announce the recent expansion of support to the students, families and teachers in the middle schools at the Peel District School Board! The new Mental Health Resource Clinicians were hired with particular attention to the specific intersectional identities and lived experiences of the students and families in Peel. Our role is to support middle schools with a primary focus on mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention. We recognize that racism, oppression and inequity can impact the wellness and wellbeing of students.
The Mental Health Resource Team is working on creating programs and events specifically designed with YOU in mind! Keep your eyes and ears open for different ways that you can get involved with events that the Mental Health Resource Team may be organizing at your school. Some of the things that may be coming your way include:
- Support for school-based identity groups (e.g. Black Student Association, Genders and Sexualities Alliances/Gay-Straight Alliances, Indigenous and other racialized and religious student groups)
- Presentations and workshops to learn about mental health, well-being, coping with stress, healthy attitudes, self-care, empowerment, how to deal with racism-related stress and much more!
- Group counselling where students can join together with others who may share similar identities or life experiences and develop skills and feel empowered to make changes and reach their goals
- Workshops and presentations for parents and caregivers to learn new strategies to foster mental health in the home.
If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, or have questions about how to talk to your child about difficult topics, visit www.peelschools.org/secondary/resources/mental-health/parents/Pages/default.aspx for further information and links to school and community resources. The PDSB Mental Health Resource Team is made up of registered psychologists and social workers. Follow them on Twitter @MHRTPeel to join the #WELLinPEEL conversation.