Healthy Breakfast Donations Welcome!!

Armitage Village P.S. stu-dents have been benefiting from our Healthy Breakfast program running from Mon-day, Wednesday, Friday of

each week. Please use this link if you wish to volunteer your time or donate any healthy snacks or cereals to assist with our costs: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084ea8a62aa1f94-breakfast. We thank you for any ‘nut and sesame free’ do-nations.

Safe Arrival Program

If your child is going to be absent or late, please call the office before 9:00 a.m. You can leave a message on the phone at any time, day or night. The Safe Arrival pro-gram requires us to follow up with phone calls to your other contacts, or in some cases, the police, if we cannot reach you. Please remember to call the school to report absences in a timely manner. Thank you.

Literacy in the Library

Thank you to all parent volunteers who have offered their time for the Literacy in the Library program this year. The pro-gram is now up and running! We will be looking for additional volunteers from now until the end of June. If you have an hour to

spare each week and would like to volunteer, please contact Mrs. Smalley at the school at extension 526. Thank you!

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK . . .

T. McElrea, Principal

K. Taylor Reed, (D. Moore - ROC) Vice Principal(s)

M. Ross and S. Gosse - Office Administration

S. Bredin, Superintendent (905) 895-5155

M. Van Beek, Trustee (905) 953-0562

The Armitage Village P.S. website can be found at:

http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/armitagevillage.ps

If you signed up for the electronic newsletter (e-mail distribution), and did not receive it, please e-mail the following address, including student(s) name/class to: armitagevillage.ps@yrdsb.ca.

Weather Watch at AVPS

With the colder weather upon us, we would like to share our protocol for out-door recess on extremely cold days. All students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 are expected to go out for recess unless the weather conditions are deemed to be severe. We always monitor the weath-er, and in extreme conditions (e.g., wind chill) we will keep the students inside or shorten the recess breaks.

Please make sure that your child is dressed properly for our winter days. Boots, hats, mittens/gloves, jackets, snow pants and scarves will help make recess an enjoyable time (please be sure to label all clothing). Children who are ill should remain at home until they are completely recovered. We are una-ble to accommodate requests for chil-dren to stay indoors as appropriate su-pervision is not available. Thank you for your cooperation.

If the conditions of the roads necessitate the cancellation of bus service, local ra-dio stations will be informed as early as possible and will broadcast this infor-

mation. The following radio/TV stations carry bus information: AM 640, FM 104.5, and City TV. Also check school-buscity.com. If you choose

to drive your child to school in the event of a bus cancellation, you would be re-sponsible for bringing your child home at the end of the school day.

125 SAVAGE RD . , NEWMARKET , ON., (905) 853-3799

NOVEMBER 2017

SCHOOL COUNCIL 2

PUNCTUALITY 3

HOMEWORK 3-4

CROSS COUNTRY 5

STACKING 6

STUDENT SAFETY 7

HEART & STROKE 8

NOVEMBER CALENDAR 9

IN THIS ISSUE:

School (Parent) Council - Upcoming News

Happy Fall Everyone!

It is certainly hopping with our School (Parent) Council! We are planning our fundraisers for the school year and are very excited about our Fresh From the Farm Fundraiser. In ad-dition, we are pleased to announce that the fun CAKE WALK will be back this year, too. We all understand how busy everyone is this time of year but we really need to ask for volunteers from our community to help run the Breakfast Program and help in the classrooms during lunch (lunch room monitoring is a

paid position). Please let the office know if you are interest-ed in volunteering.

Thanks so much!

Jody Bullen

Chair- Armitage Village Public School

Annual AVPS Holiday Toy/Food Drive

Just a reminder that we will be holding our Annual AVPS Holiday Season Toy/Food Drive to help a number of our fami-lies during the holiday season once again this year. By doing so we hope to make the season a little nicer for some of

our families who could benefit with a little extra tender loving care and assis-tance. We will begin the week of November 13th, and finish on December 8th. Donations can also be made to our Breakfast/Snack Program. Please con-tact Mrs. Tenthorey or Mrs. Begen if you have questions, at (905) 853-3799, Ext. 109 or 105.

Extended Holidays

If you will be taking your children out of school for longer than 2 weeks at a time, we require written information which will include the expected date of return. Either an email or a written note is accepta-ble.

Our Eco-Club is Venturing into the Eco-Friendly Deodorant Domain

The Eco-Club is looking for donations of small baby food jars as they will be making homemade deo-dorant. Who knew creativity and personal hygiene could be such a potent combination?

Mrs. Norton, Mrs. Copsey, Mrs. Mabee and Mrs. Vandenbrink

Did you know . . .

According to the Allergy Asthma Information As-sociation, 2-3% of infants are allergic to milk, and most of them will grow out of a milk allergy by the time they are three years old.

Peanut and nut allergies are much more common in children than adults, and the opposite is true with fish and shellfish allergies.

Anna Ortino, AVPS Parent and School Council Member

PAGE 3 NOVEMBER . More Reasons Why Punctuality Matters . . . • If children are late arriving to school, they miss important social time with their peers before school begins.

• Students who are late often feel embarrassed or self-conscious.

• Late arrivals disrupt the routine of the classroom.

• A last-minute rush can be stressful for the child, and get him/her to school in the wrong frame of mind.

• Missing even five or ten minutes of the day can make it harder for a student to understand the material being taught.

• Frequent absenteeism leads to gaps in a child’s skills and knowledge base and can cause the child to fall behind peers and decrease self-esteem.

• Too many missed school days can increase isolation as the child stands out from his/her classmates and misses opportuni-ties to develop socially.

• Absenteeism makes it tougher for the child to develop a good rapport with the teachers.

Tips for being on time . . .

The morning can be a very hectic time. Here are some effective tips for getting your child up and out the door on time.

Get your child to bed at a reasonable hour.

Set realistic and consistent schedules and rules at home. Getting ready for school should be part of the child’s overall routine, something that’s expected of him/her every day.

Do whatever is necessary the night before to save time in the morning, such as setting out clothes, packing lunches, and setting backpacks at the door.

Create a set morning routine that your child can easily follow (i.e. washing hands and face, going to the bathroom, dress-ing, making the bed, brushing teeth and eating a healthy breakfast).

Avoid any distractions that can slow your child down, like TV or games.

Set your alarm to get up earlier if you’re running late regularly.

Homework

One way that parents and caregivers can help students succeed in school is to support them as they do homework.

The following tips have been reprinted with permission from the People for Education Web site. For more tip sheets, visit www.peopleforeducation.com and click on the Parents tab.

What is homework?

Types of work that students may bring home:

Finishing assignments that were started in class, Working on a research project, Studying for tests and exams, Practising new skills learned in the classroom, Organizing binders or workbooks, or Reading assigned parts of a novel or textbook

Where and when should homework be done?

Not all students study in the same way. Some like to work in a quiet place, some like to work with music in the back-ground, and other students find it is helpful to study with friends. You know your child best. Help her or him choose the best place to do their homework. (. . . continued on p. 4)

ARMITAGE NEWS PAGE 4 It may help to have a regular time for homework. Students may try to put off homework while parents push to get it

done, often ending in arguments. By having a regular homework time, it becomes part of the routine. Try to get the homework done earlier in the evening, when students have more energy. Allow time for them to relax

before bed.

How much time should students spend on homework?

There is no established “right” amount of homework. Researchers and educators agree that there should only be lim-ited homework in the early grades, with the amount gradually increasing as students move into high school.

Students work at different speeds, so the amount of time spent on homework will vary. Students should be able to do their homework and have time to participate in other activities, including sports, music

lessons, religious activities, language classes, volunteer work and free play. If you are concerned that your child is getting too much or too little homework, you should speak to the classroom

teacher.

How can parents help with homework?

Encourage older children to use their school agenda to keep track of assignments and tests. Help set up a work schedule or even a big calendar for larger projects.

Unless it is a project, homework should be a review of what students are learning in class, so students should be able to do their homework on their own.

While your children are doing their homework, you might do your “homework,” like paying bills, reading a book or writing a letter. It gives them company and keeps you close at hand. But only offer help if asked.

Read together (in any language) with younger children, and encourage older students to spend some time each day reading by themselves.

Talk to your children about school every day. Even if you don’t understand the topic, and even if English or French is not your first language, you can be a good listener. Research shows that just by talking about school, parents can improve students’ chances for success.

Make sure students have all the homework supplies they need – pencils, rulers, markers, and paper.

What if a student is having difficulty with homework?

Encourage students to speak to the teacher if they need help. Let your child know that it is okay to ask for assistance if they don’t understand something.

If your child doesn’t understand the homework, ask how the teacher taught the lesson. This may help the child to remember what was learned earlier and how to get to the answer.

If your child is getting frustrated or upset, have them take a break, and try again a bit later. If the student cannot complete the homework after trying their best, it is okay to send the work back to school incom-

plete. You can write a note on the homework or in the agenda, explaining why it isn’t finished. This helps the teacher understand what the problems are, and the teacher will be pleased to know that you are involved in your child’s education.

If your child is consistently unable to do her or his homework, make an appointment to speak to the teacher.

Other Sources for Homework Support

Find out what kinds of homework support are available through the school or in your local library or community centre. Some schools and many public libraries have homework clubs after school.

Students may be able to get help from friends or older siblings. Many high schools have peer tutors – students who have completed

the course and can help with things like math and science. Check out www.edu.gov.on.ca for math tutoring suggestions.

PAGE 5 NOVEMBER

Armitage Village P.S. Regional Cross Country Report

Congrats to Ashton W., Alex R. and Davin L. who represented AVPS at regionals for cross country on October 17, 2017. They ran hard with over 200 runners in each of their races. Their outcomes were really good - for Grade 7 Ashton came in 31st and Davin Linton came 45th, and in Grade 8 Alex R. came in 59th. Everyone did really well. You had to run over a hill three times, and you also had to run through a park, a forest, mud, and the parking lot. So I think we did really well. Alex said, “It was very surprising to see the number of ath-letes in my race. The course was fun!”

By Ashton W.

Stacking at AVPS Stacking is in full swing at Armitage this month! Six students competed at the first ever Armitage Village Fall Clas-sic. This comprised forty competitors from across Ontario and Quebec. Congratulations goes out to Raymond, Aaron, Leah, Elyanna, Kaitlyn and Anya for their superb stacking results! All six students have now qualified to compete at the AAU Junior Olympic Games next summer in Des Moines, Iowa. A big thanks goes out to all former Armitage students who volunteered their time to be judges for the event, as well as all of the students, staff and parents who pitched in on setup, cleanup and during the proceedings. And thanks as well to Mr. Antoine (one of the leaders of Sport Stacking Cana-da) and his family for travelling from the Montreal area to help out.

The Stacking club meets every day 1 in the cycle at 12:45 pm in Room 108. Students are invited to join and see what stacking is all about.

We are also pleased to an-nounce that Anya has been invited to be a part of Team Canada for the upcoming World Championships of Stacking to be held next April in Orlando! Way to go Anya - we know you will do Armitage proud!

By Mr. Vickers

PAGE 7

It’s Time to Remind Children About Walking to School Safely

This is a good time for parents to remind their children about pedestrian safety. York Regional Police has provided the following safety tips on their website to help keep students safe on their way to and from school:

Walk on available sidewalks

Always cross at intersections

Obey crossing guards

Stop before stepping into roadway

Be visible and indicate crossing intentions

Look and listen for traffic in all directions

Make eye contact with drivers

Cross safely when the roadway is clear

Walk. Do not run or cycle across roads

If possible use the buddy system

For more information, visit www.yrp.ca.

November 2017

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Tip of the Month

The Froogie smartphone app helps families track their fruit and vegetable intake. Animated charac-ters (Froogies) help kids understand the im-portance of eating enough fruits and vegetables every day. Tracking daily servings for a week un-locks a new Froogie character for up to nine weeks. Tips and reminders appear daily!

Recipe of the Month

Question of the Month

Q: How can you prevent yourself from heart disease and strokes? A: Heart disease refers to what is really a group of conditions that affect the heart and has many root causes. A stroke happens when blood stops flowing to any part of your brain, damaging brain cells. The effects of a stroke depend on the part of the brain that was damaged and the amount of damage done. For most types, maintaining a healthy lifestyle (healthy eat-ing, physical activity, avoiding smoking and drinking) is a key part of preventing these conditions.

“A long healthy life is no accident. It begins with good genes, but it also depends on good habits.” –

Cintia Dicker

Servings: Serves 4 people

Ingredients

5 cups (1.25 L) fusilli, cooked

1/2 cup (125 mL) store-bought salsa

1 can (540 mL) beans, your choice , drained and rinsed

2 cups (500 mL) cucumber, diced

3/4 cup (175 mL) lower fat Canadian

Feta, crumbled or 2/3 cup (160 mL) regular Canadian Feta, crumbled

Directions

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients, and then savor.

Calories: 453 Protein: 24 g Total Fats: 7 g Saturated Fats: 4 g Cholesterol: 14 mg Carbohydrates: 74 g Fibre: 10 g Sugars: 2g Added Sugars: 0 g Sodium: 600 mg Potassium: 469 g

Cook time: 0 minutes

Fusilli Salad with Salsa

and Feta

NOVEMBER 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

29 30 Day 2 Breakfast Program

31 Day 3

1 Day 4

Breakfast Program All Saints Day Mulock Take Our Students to HS Day

2 Day 5

3 Day 1

Breakfast Program

4 Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

5 6 Day 2

Breakfast Program

3:20 pm: Staff Mtg.

7 Day 3 Intermediate Voice Conference

8 Day 4 Breakfast Program

9 Day 5 Peace Tree Conference World Stacking Day

10 Day 1

Breakfast Program

Remembrance Day Assembly

11 Remembrance Day

12 13 Day 2

Breakfast Program

14 Day 3 Senior Kindergarten Vision Screening

15 Day 4

Breakfast Program Area Boys Intermediate Volleyball

16 Day 5 Hold & Secure YRDSB Quest Conference 6:00 - 7:00 pm: Family Math Evening

17 Day 1 Breakfast Program YRDSB Quest Conference

18

19 20 Day 2

Breakfast Program Photo Retakes

21 Day 3 Progress Re-ports go home

22 Day 4

Breakfast Program Area Girls Intermediate Volleyball

23 Day 5

Evening: Parent-Teacher Confer-ences

24 Day 0 PA Day Morning: Parent-Teacher Confer-ences

Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadar Ji

25

26 The Day of the Covenant

27 Day 1 Breakfast Program Sharing Assembly

28 Day 2 Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha

6:30 pm: School

Council Meeting

29 Day 3

Breakfast Program Regional Boys Volleyball

30 Day 4 Manu-agiyaras Regional Girls Vol-leyball 7:00 pm: Mulock Info. Night

1 Day 5

Breakfast Program

2