We continue to be

so proud of our

Southwood

community! All of

our students, staff

and families have

been working so

hard together to

make Southwood a

safe and

wonderful place to

learn!

From the desk of the Principal and Vice Principal … Dear Southwood Families, Welcome to another month of learning here at Southwood. Many new things have been happening in these first couple of months at school. We continue to be so proud of how well all of our students, staff and families have worked together to make our school a safe place where learning is the priority. We are excited to be sharing progress reports with families on November 16th. Progress reports will go home with students on the afternoon of November 16th. We are excited to share all of the awesome learning that our students have been doing. We are doing a great job following all of the health protocols and meeting all of the different challenges that have come our way so far this school year. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new and returning families during this quadmester. Our new quadmester begins on November 9th and we are looking forward to welcoming our new and returning students to Southwood. Please note that the next opportunity to change learning models will be in January. This month we will be observing Remembrance Day on November 11th through some virtual activities put together by our amazing Southwood team, so that classes can follow health regulations as well as participate in Remembrance Day to honour those who have served our country. We would like to thank GECDSB for assisting in covering the cost of the fanny packs purchased for students to safely store their masks while they go outside for fitness breaks. We appreciate the help in keeping our students safe and healthy. We are looking forward to a fantastic November!

Partners in Education,

Mrs. Lowes Mrs. DeHetre

Principal Vice Principal

Southwood Staff for 2020 – 2021

JK/SK – M. Newman ECE – C. Woschenski Grade ½ – A. Mamo Grade ½ – C. Coulter Grade 3 – D. Hunt-Robinson Grade ¾ – S. Tessier Grade 4/5 – M. Dragicevic Grade 5/6 – L. Landry Grade 6 – T. Mio Grade 7 – M. Lucier Grade 7/8 – J. Dunlop Grade 8 – D. Chisholm RISE – N. Baughan LST - D. Edgar GAINS 1 – C. Djelebian GAINS 2– S. Lysay French – J. Meszaros Library – N. Baughan Music – J. Cadarette ESL – J. Piescic DSW – M. Grass DSW – D. Randall-Taylor EA – T. Campbell EA – K. Boroski EA – A. Renaud EA – S. Szostopal EA – A. Saj-Pitre E.A. – E. Ferrari CYW – J. Glover Custodian – D. Leavoy Custodian – M. Roy Custodian – J. Buchanan Secretary – L. Ladouceur Clerk – K. Coppola Vice Principal – K. DeHetre Principal – M. Lowes

November, 2020

Follow us on Twitter @ SPSSabres

Remembrance Day

Wednesday, November 11th is Remembrance Day. We will be honouring those who have

served our Country with a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, November 11th. Unfortunately

this year we are unable to host families at the school, however we look forward to being able

to resume this important tradition in the future. We will be observing a moment of silence

together as a school in our classrooms at 11:00am to thank our veterans who have served

Canada.

We are excited to participate in Random Acts of Kindness this month. The Windsor Essex

Community Foundation has shared many ideas with the GECDSB to help Make Kindness the

Norm. We look forward to sharing the many amazing things that our students have been doing

in our school and in the community to promote kindness and help make Windsor and Essex

County a wonderful place to be.

School Council News This month’s School Council Meeting will be held on

Wednesday November 25th at 6:00 p.m. in a virtual TEAMS

meeting. All parents are welcome to attend. Please contact the

office if you would like an invitation.

10 Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness From the Windsor-Essex Community Foundation

1. Send a letter, a card, or make a telephone call to a long lost friend or relative and renew that relationship. 2. Invite someone to a virtual dinner who is alone or on their own. 3. Do a virtual or phone visit with an elderly friend.

4. Offer to do shopping or online ordering for someone who needs help

5. Send a thank you/congratulatory note to a co-worker/classmate, appreciating their efforts and the

difference they make.

6. Assist a co-worker or classmate with a project.

7. Dedicate a song to a special someone on the radio.

8. Prepare a favourite meal/snack for family or friend.

9. Share your professional expertise with someone in need of that help.

10. Offer your services of childcare to allow a new mother some personal time.

OCTOBER

Screens are a part of our everyday life, but this does not mean we should use them all day long. Kids need to use screens for learning, such as in class and at home, but should only use screens for two hours a day outside of these needs. Find a balance by limiting “recreational” screen use, like:

Surfing social media

Texting

Watching TV

Playing video games

For more tips on how to get kids to SWEAT, STEP and SLEEP more, and SIT less, visit https://csepguidelines.ca/wp-content/themes/csep2017/pdf/Canadian24HourMovementGuidelines2016_2.pdf

October is Children’s Vision Month! Taking good care of a child’s eyes is important for a child’s overall health and well-being. Ask your child if their eyes ever hurt or if they start to have trouble seeing, or if things have changed for them. If you see them squinting or they complain of headaches regularly, take them in to get their eyes tested. Everyone under the age of 19 with an OHIP card can get a free eye exam once per year.

Keep stress levels down with good time management. School work, tests, and even friend and family requests can add up quickly and cause stress in children. Help teach kids to plan ahead for their week to avoid feeling stressed at the last minute. Use a calendar that shows their school work, sports, and other activities so it’s easy to see how time needs to be managed. Teaching children these skills will help them throughout life.

Children learn and perform better at school when they eat a healthy breakfast and lunch. Here are some ideas for healthy lunches: o Change it up from sandwiches by using a wide mouth thermos to

give them leftovers of chili, soup, pasta, or stew. o Make small wraps with a protein, vegetables, and salad dressing, or

make mini-pizzas on an English muffin. o Lunchables are not the healthiest option. Make your own version

with finger foods like crackers and cheese, small pieces of fruit, and meat cut into small circles and squares.

o As options for bread, use small pita pockets, dinner rolls, breadsticks, or round Melba toast.

APPLE

SEEDS

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NOVEMBER

Did you know that 1 in 4 children do not get enough sleep? Lack of sleep make it hard for kids to focus in class, and raise the risk of getting sick. As a guideline, children aged 5 to 13 should get 9 to 11 hours of sleep, and those between 14 to 17 years need 8 to 10 hours. For more information, go to: https://www.participaction.com/en-ca/benefits-and-guidelines/children-and-youth-age-5-to-17

Relaxation techniques can be helpful for children’s mental health now and in the future. One easy method to lower stress is deep breathing. This can tell your body to relax by lowering the heart rate and blood pressure, and it also gives the mind something calm to focus on. Plus, it’s easy to do, anywhere! Sit or lie in a comfortable, quiet place. Breathe in, counting to five, hold the breath for three counts, and then breathe out for five counts. Continue for a couple of minutes at a time, or until you feel calm.

To help prevent spreading COVID-19 or the flu at school, it is important

to:

o Get a flu shot every year (everyone over 6 months of age).

o Teach children to wash their hands often, for 20 seconds.

o Teach children to cough or sneeze into their arm or a tissue, not their

hands.

o Avoid touching their face with their hands and wear a mask when

physical distancing is difficult.

o Regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.

o Stay home when sick.

Did you know that children are more likely to eat their lunch and snacks if they help make them? Try putting out healthy snack options and letting kids choose what they want and put it all in their own containers. If you’re looking for ideas, check this link, https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/School-Health/Articles/Healthy-Lunch-Ideas-for-the-New-School-Year.aspx

Vaccines keep our children and community healthy! The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) R.S.O. 1990 is a law in Ontario that makes sure all school-aged students are protected from avoidable diseases. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is working with you, your school board, and community healthcare providers to make sure that your child’s permanent immunization record is up-to-date. Learn more about how you can update your child’s immunization record at immune.wechu.org If you need assistance, call the immunization hotline at 519-258-2146 ext. 1222

APPLE

SEEDS

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DECEMBER

Drinking water is good for you and your teeth! Other drinks (for example, juice) can leave sugars on your teeth, which may cause cavities. Drinks such as pop are high in acid, which can harm your teeth. Water can keep your mouth healthy by “cleaning” food away, and because it’s sugar-free, it won’t leave any sugar behind on your teeth. Drink up!

Around 1 in 5 children in Ontario have a mental health challenge. You can help your children by teaching them how to handle stress – even when they’re young! Teach them time management, be there to listen to them during tough times, and support them to try new things. For more info on children’s mental health, visit https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/child-and-youth-mental-health-signs-and-symptoms/

Keep your activity levels up in the winter by trying some new outdoor activities. Have you ever tried skating, tobogganing, skiing, or road hockey? Now’s the time! Just be sure to dress warmly and use the proper equipment for the activity, including the right helmet, so you stay safe. Don’t let the cold weather stop you from being active – get outside and find ways to stay warm!

If you’re looking for ways to help get your children to eat veggies and

fruit, try some of these suggestions:

o Role model healthy eating by filling half your plate with veggies and

fruit at every meal.

o Experiment with seasonings to make them more flavourful for

everyone to enjoy.

o Keep cut-up veggies and fruit handy in the refrigerator for your

children to eat when they get home from school.

APPLE

SEEDS

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We are Pleased to Introduce our New School Advisory

Council!

Mr. Dan Topp – Chair

Mrs. Joanne Pratt – Treasurer

Mrs. Nandini Tirumala – Secretary

We welcome all of our new and returning members of our School

Advisory Council. We also welcome Mrs. Landry as our Teacher

Representative, replacing Mrs. Brown who retired in June. Thank-

you to our dedicated council for everything you do for our school!

Follow us on Twitter @ SPSSabres

November 20, 2020

A Fun Activity

A Big Thank-You to Paradise Bingo! At Southwood, we have been so lucky to have access to the funds that are generated through the OLG and Paradise Bingo. Even during the shut-down due to Covid-19, we have been able to bring in some much needed funding to support our programs at Southwood Public School. We have used the funds generated to purchase new technology, such as ipads, computers and projectors. We purchased subscriptions for educational online programs including RazKids, BrainPop, Around the World and musicplayonline. Our GAINS classrooms have received equipment and supplies needed for our students with diverse needs. New sports equipment has been purchased and is ready for when team sports are running again. We can't say enough good things about the benefits that have come through the collaborative efforts of our volunteer parents and staff, working with Paradise Bingo. Since Mrs. Brown retired last year, Ms. Cadarette has stepped into the co-ordinator position. Currently, we are waiting to hear when Bingos will resume, but we need to be ready when they do. We could really use a few more volunteers to sign up to work bingos with us. Please contact Ms. Cadarette at (519) 969-3470 if you are able to volunteer to help us with this fundraising opportunity. Thanks again to Paradise Bingo and the OLG for all they do assisting us!

INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES CLASSES:

Grades 1-8

The Greater Essex County District School Board is pleased to offer our International Languages program for the 2020-21 school year. This year, International Languages classes will be offered virtually (online at home). This program is available to students in Grades 1-8 from across Windsor and Essex County. Your child does not need a background in a particular language to be able to take advantage of this unique opportunity to acquire a second or third language. International Languages classes will run on Saturdays from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm throughout the year, beginning in November. Classes are offered based on student enrolment numbers. Any language may be offered for which there are 25 students and an available instructor. Languages offered in previous years include:

Albanian Arabic German Hindi Italian Korean Mandarin Nepali Persian Punjabi Serbian Urdu Tamil Spanish

International Languages classes will be presented through Microsoft Teams and will require students to be able to access this online tool at home through an electronic device (computer, laptop, tablet) and access to the internet. As this is a complimentary program, technology will not be provided to families who are participating. Please use the link below, or our webpage https://www.publicboard.ca/Programs/K-12/International-

Languages to register for International Languages Classes this year. The registration deadline is November 2, 2020. For any further inquiries about the program, please contact Mr. David Dawson, International Languages Principal at 519-255-3200, ext. 20203.

Click here to register → GECDSB International Languages Virtual Classes

Have a fabulous month!